Dark Blood
by Lar'ja Thwei - The Huntress
Summary: Since the introduction of Sci-fi into our culture, there are many among us who are hard believers in extraterrestrials. Kara was never one of those hard believers, until she was the unwilling victim of extraterrestrial contact. A stranger on a new planet, she must learn to survive and adapt with the help of her protector. Will she be able to regain what she has lost... and more?
1. Chapter 1

"Goddammit."

Kara was jolted with adrenaline when her phone suddenly buzzed to life in the cup holder, breaking her concentration. The last thing she wanted to do was get distracted on the highway. Especially in Florida. The drivers are beyond terrible.

She quickly glanced at the caller ID.

"Ugh," she sighed. "How many times have I told him not to call me while I'm driving.

After waiting for the ringer to silence, Kara decided to give technology one more chance. The last time she tried this was extremely frustrating and just ended up with her swearing at her phone. Overall, nothing got accomplished.

"Hey, Siri!"

The familiar two-tone ding sounded. Alright, so far so good.

"Text Numbnuts."

Another ding. "What would you like me to send to Numbnuts?" asked the insistent, robotic voice.

Just to be safe and prevent another pointless rant, she decided to annunciate her words very clearly, to the point of ridiculousness.

"I. Am. Driving. Back. To. My. Apartment. Period. I. Will. Get. Back. To. You. When. I. Get. There. Period."

"Would you like me to send?"

"Yes please."

A second ding indicated that her message had been sent successfully. Sighing with relief, Kara quickly reached down and shut her phone off.

 _"Well done, Siri,"_ she thought. _"You've redeemed yourself for the time being."_

The rest of the drive passed uneventfully. It was late afternoon when Kara finally pulled into her small apartment complex, parked, grabbed her backpack and computer, and made her way into the front lobby.

It was modest; warmly lit by old-fashioned shade lamps, soft green couches and leather recliners, and a coffee table covered in magazines. There was a set of wooden stairs directly across from the entrance, leading up to the residential floors. The check-in desk was to the left of the stairs, kind of shoved in the corner. Behind it, an average looking guy with messy light brown hair was flipping through a wrinkled fashion magazine.

"Hey, James." Kara raised a hand in greeting as she passed.

James looked up from his reading. "Hey, Kara." He smiled, "How's your boyfriend?"

She rolled her eyes, "Nonexistent. How's yours?"

"Same as usual," he shrugged. "We're going out tomorrow to celebrate our year and a half anniversary."

"That's awesome. I'm happy for you." And she genuinely was. She was very happy that James had such a steady and easygoing relationship. Because he was so proud of his success, he never missed an opportunity to tease Kara about her own relationship status. He claimed his reasoning behind it was that he "couldn't understand how such a headstrong and talented woman was still wandering around this world single." Honestly, the last thing Kara wanted was a relationship.

After reaching the seclusion of her apartment, Kara threw her bag on the table and pulled out her phone. Normally, she would have checked all her emails, started making dinner, or even have gone to bed before remembering to call her brother back. But it was unlike him to call her when he knew she was driving back from work. So, whatever it was, obviously must be important. This assumption was proven correct when he picked up almost immediately.

"What took you so long?"

Kara sighed, "You know how long the drive is from Edgewood to Tallahassee."

"Yeah, I know," he said. "What I don't know is why you don't just move down there."

"Because I'm too gosh darn lazy, that's why!"

The two bickered about Kara's lack of interest in moving closer to her internship for a solid twenty minutes. Other than being lazy, her main reason was that she had absolutely fallen in love with the area ever since she first attended Florida State University. (Go Noles!) In fact, she could see the campus from her balcony. Guess she never really wanted to leave once she graduated.

They ended up talking about each other's jobs and their successes. Her brother, Lukas (Luke for short, since she thought Lukas was too formal), had just graduated from Keiser University. He aspired to be a lawyer, which made sense to his entire family, since he was so good at arguing over everything. Especially at a young age. Kara was currently interning at the Adrenaline Films, getting some more experience with sound design and video editing. It was her childhood dream to become a part of the film industry, and she was now working towards becoming a decent music editor. She was hoping to be picked up by a director soon...

" _Wait a second_." In the midst of saying nothing was going on at the studio, she remembered something quite interesting that happened today.

"Actually," she paused. "I do have some news." Earlier that day, while she was working on compiling a bunch of clips for a PSA, jamming out to some of her favorite soundtracks, some guy walked into the studio. He had on a plaid flannel, jeans, sneakers, and small glasses. He carried a little notebook and a pen, and when he entered, smiled and tipped his fedora.

"Good morning gentlemen...," he peered around to the back where Kara was working at a lone computer. "And lady."

He said this bit louder, enough to get Kara's attention and pull one of her headphones off.

"My name's Tyler. I'm just passing through. If you don't mind, I'd like to look at some of your work and ask you a few questions."

Kara groaned. " _Great_ ," she thought. " _A journalist._ "

She put her headphone back on and completely forgot Tyler existed until he tapped her on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, miss...?"

"Kara Morgan." She shook his hand.

He smiled, "It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Morgan." He jotted her name down in his notebook.

Thinking it would be polite, and never one to miss a chance at being courteous, Kara got up and offered her chair.

Tyler waved away her gesture. "No, no. I'm fine." But Kara had already pulled up a second chair, so he had no choice but to sit. He thanked her and motioned towards her computer.

"You can pull up your work, but I'd like to as you some questions before we watch it."

They were basic, generic questions. Where did she go to school? What were her interests? How long had she been interning? Why she decided to peruse film? Everything she said he furiously scribbled into his notebook. He glanced up only for a second to look at her screen.

Taking notice of the open iTunes tab, he asked, "What music do you typically listen to?" She told him mainly movie soundtracks, techno, and alternative pop or rock.

Finally, he asked to see her best work. She decided to pull up a movie trailer she had made for the third _Hunger Games_ movie in her spare time. She had mixed a few songs together for the music and added in her own effects here and there. While Kara didn't think it was all that great, Tyler seemed enthralled. He had nothing but praise about the timing, music editing, scripting, etc.

"That was absolutely fantastic, Miss Morgan! My, I can certainly see you have a perpetual sense of timing and an appreciation of the power of music."

Kara waved away the compliments, not one to take flattery easily. But Tyler just continued.

"Truthfully, Miss Morgan, you have blown me away. I have a proposition for you."

This piqued her interest.

"Now," he started. "I am a recruiter of sorts for a Mr. Shane Black. He directed the most recent Iron Man movie, and he is looking to start another picture. And he's sent me around to look for someone to assist the sound and music editors. Basically, I'm here on his behalf to offer you an apprenticeship..."

"Wow," her brother said. "That is quite a day."

"Yeah, I guess so." Despite feigning a calm demeanor, Lukas could hear her smile.

Kara huffed. "Enough about me. What was so important that you had to call me while I'm driving?"

She heard her brother take a breath of excitement. "You know how I've been dating Kayla for a couple of years?"

Kayla was a short, sweet, talkative, and slightly feisty young woman who Lukas had met in elementary school. They had remained friends all throughout their school years, and Lukas finally decided to ask her out his sophomore year of high school. She remembered thinking, _Took him long enough._

"Well... I asked her to marry me!"

Both sat in silence for a moment before simultaneously erupting into celebration. Kara couldn't believe it. Her younger brother, getting married! She was overjoyed.

"Oh my god, I'm packing my stuff right now and coming home!" She said as she scrambled for her suitcase.

"Wait, what about your new job?"

"Don't worry, that doesn't start until next year." Kara was literally jumping with excitement, shaking her hands and scampering around her apartment. "Oh, Luke. I'm so happy!"

They hung up with elated goodbyes, and Kara went to work throwing clothes and shoes and brushed into her bags. She grabbed her keys, laptop, locked her door, and flew down the steps, waving to James as she yelled, "My brother's getting married!" Putting the keys in the ignition, Kara smiled at herself in the mirror.

"This has been the greatest day of my life!"


	2. Chapter 2

Elsewhere, along the Eastern coast of Florida, others were having a similar experience of unkempt excitement and anticipation. A group of young men and women were rushing down a bright, metal corridor. They were whispering and chittering about some sort of 'discovery' that was being brought in.

"I heard they found it in Antarctica."

"Where, in the ice?"

"No, on the ocean floor. I think a submarine found it."

"Is it alive?"

"Why would they bring it here?"

"Maybe because we have one of the biggest facilities. It might be big!"

Such discussion continued as they made their way into a room with control panels, chairs, and a huge viewing window. The group crowded against the glass, trying to get a good look at whatever was being brought in.

From their vantage point, they were looking down into another room, but much larger. It was more like a hangar that been repurposed into a laboratory. There were consoles, tables covered in tools, and one large containment unit. And as they stood there gawking, something was being lowered into it.

It was absolutely massive. The was no other way to describe it. Just... massive. It's armored skin, an exoskeleton really, was jet black. Sharp appendages protruded from its back and shoulders and it's frame was extremely skeletal. Four arms, two large and two smaller ones on its chest, long double jointed legs, and ribbed tail with a blade at its tip.

It's head, however, was probably the most opposing part of its appearance. Completely faceless, save for a mouth full of sharp transparent teeth. It sloped back and then flared out into a huge crest. Truly a terrifying sight to behold.

Once it was lying on the floor of the containment unit, they sealed the hatch and started pumping in oxygen. Everyone anxiously watched, breathless, the only sound the hissing of the oxygen tanks. Slowly, the creature started to show signs of life. It's limbs twitched, and it tried lifting its head. Curiosity drew the people in the laboratory closer to the unit windows.

Sensing the movement, the creature slid its head towards them, unhinging its jaw and revealing a secondary mouth inside. Everyone gasped, jumping back in surprise and awe. They had never seen something as elegantly complex, and potentially dangerous, as this monstrous being. In fact, they were completely mesmerized by it. However, soon the trance was broken and the laboratory practically erupted.

Lab coats, folders, and questions flew everywhere. Everyone was searching their vast array of files and data to see if they had any sort of information on this unknown creature. If, somewhere in humanity's past, someone had had the honor to be blessed with its presence.

"Here! I found it!"

In flurry, they all crowded around a single monitor. The file was a few years old, and yet it was quite large. In the upper right hand corner of the screen there was a large 'W' emblem.

Someone whispered, "Weyland Corp..." An uncomfortable silence followed as they panned through the information. Apparently, humans had encountered it before.

The Xenomorph; adaptable, dangerous, and twice as deadly. They multiply fast, and can easily get out of control. From the description given, it seemed as if the Xenomorph hierarchy was similar to that of an ant hive. Thousands upon thousands of workers all controlled by a Queen.

The people looked up from the computer, now realizing that they were in the presence of royalty. The Queen was attempting to rise to her feet. She wobbled, banging her head against the glass, and eventually succumbed to gravity. The force of her fall shook the entire room. Some wouldn't have been surprised if it shook the entire complex. There seemed to be no real limit to this thing's overwhelming strength. Once again, the people in the room were left reeling with ideas of what this Xenomorph could offer with just a few experiments.

"Magnificent, isn't it."

Everyone turned to see a middle-aged man leaning on the stair railings. He ran a hand through his fading black hair, whistling in admiration.

"Some of my people say that it's the reincarnation of death. But, I say that it is gift granted to us." His foot steps rang out in the room as he descended. "A perfect organism."

He walked right up to the containment unit and pressed his hand against the glass, closing his eyes. The look on his face could only be described as insane love.

"And you are...?"

The man turned to the questioner.

"My apologies," he took a small bow. "Charles Bishop Weyland, current head of Weyland Corp."

(Yes, there is an AVP reference. I couldn't help it. But I promise that there is no connection whatsoever.)


	3. Chapter 3

Have you ever seen a house and wondered what it was like on the inside? Wondered what it's inhabitants could be doing at that very moment? If you saw a dim lamp shining through the curtains, you'd probably imagine someone curled up on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, reading and sipping tea or coffee. If you saw the erratic, jolting blue light of a television, you'd probably imagine a family or couple lounging and watching a movie, the news, or the latest game.

Now, if you drove through one particular neighborhood, down one particular street, and looked at one particular house on one particular day... it wouldn't look much different than the rest. Just a typical cream-colored cement ranch house with lots of flowers and bushes in the front. The only thing that would stand out about this house would be the excessive amount of cars packed into the driveway and along the side of the road. From the outside, the house looked peaceful and quiet, as if all the people there were outside having a chat or floating in the pool. However, a trip into that house would tell you otherwise.

It was almost complete chaos, but in a good way. Hands, bodies, hair, shrieks, tears, and unbottled emotions were rampaging around the house. There were about as much flowers on the inside as there were on the outside, some of them producing cards that read _Congratulations!, Happy Engagement!, She said Yes!,_ and the like. There were snacks and drinks on tables, and fine china was delicately arranged in the dining room. The smell of delicious food wafted inside as a man pulled a tray full of assorted meats from the smoker on the patio. In the kitchen, a few women were busily throwing ingredients into multiple bowls for salads, pastries, and other side dishes. Photos were being snapped left and right, capturing every moment. It's not every day that a member of the Morgan household gets engaged.

Currently, said member was saving his wife-to-be from being smothered by his grandmothers.

"Sheesh, Nana, don't kill her. I still have to marry her!" Lukas heartily teased as he pulled Kayla away from a chittering grandma.

"Oh, I can't help it. I'm simply bursting!" She wiped a few happy tears from her beaming wrinkled face.

As she shuffled off to talk amongst relatives, another figure carefully maneuvered her way through the people. While everyone around her was almost formally dressed, she was wearing a Noles shirt, sports jacket, ripped jeans, and a pair of rather colorful socks.

Lukas shook his head at his sister. "Still never dress for the occasion."

"Sure I do," Kara said as she gave Kayla a warm hug. Since she was young, Kayla had always had to contend with her minuscule height. But Kara was pleased to observe that she had sprouted into a beautiful (and taller) young woman throughout the years. Lukas, on the other hand, had always retained extreme height since age 12. His now 6"6 frame towered above both his 5"2 bride and his _older_ 5"4 sister, making it hard for Kara to give him a hug since she reached only just above his midriff.

"Ok, sure," her brother scoffed. "What're you going to wear to the wedding? Sweatpants? Pajamas?"

"Ha ha," Kara playfully punched him in the gut. "If you keep it up, you'll be lucky if I wear dress pants."

The three of them walked around the house and talked, both amongst themselves and with others. Soon, however, it was time for dinner, and everyone piled in around the dining room table or sat on sofas nearby. Kara and Lukas' father, Don Morgan, had always been a marvelous cook, and they were all drooling over the platter of pulled pork, sausages, chicken, and porterhouse he set before them.

"There's something here for everyone," he smiled as he began plating food. Kara's mother, Elizabeth Morgan, passed around drinks and gave everyone a heaping helping of sides. Everything was silent save for sighs of content and praise for such a delicious meal. Eventually, conversation turned to plans for the wedding.

"So, did you figure out where it's gonna be?" Kara asked between spoonfuls of noodle salad.

Lukas looked to Kayla and smiled. "We were thinking of being married in Jensen-"

"On the same beach where Don and Elizabeth were married!" Kayla piped in. She had always been a talker. "There's going to be roses, and lanterns, and everything!"

Everyone laughed and smiled, some even got a little teary-eyed. Even Kara choked up a little. That was something Lukas had always said he was going to do since he was little. She nudged him, forcing him to pry his doting eyes away from Kayla.

"I'm proud of you, little bro."

Lukas smiled, a true smile that lit up his eyes.

"Thanks... _little_ sis." He tousled her hair, like she did to him when he was younger.

Kara gave him a halfhearted death stare.

"Don't even."


	4. Chapter 4

It had been at least two days since the Queen had been brought to the facility, but for those working there, it seemed like an eternity. Since the Weylanders had arrived, no one was allowed to leave. They were basically in lockdown. It wouldn't have been so bad if the scientists, engineers, and other staff were actually able to do something. They were confined to the mess hall as the Weylanders scurried around the facility, doing who knows what with the Queen. To say they were bored and annoyed would be an understatement.

The lab where the Queen was kept had been completely transformed. Much more advanced equipment, technology, and tools had been brought in and now littered the tables, chairs, and floor. The Weylanders worked diligently and silently, making the lab eerily quiet save for the tapping of a keyboard or the rustling of papers.

Overlooking it all was Mr. Weyland, reclining comfortably in a cushioned chair on a balcony, giving him a full view of the Queen. He drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair as he watched her every move, for it was not just the lab that had changed.

In the span of three days, Her Majesty had grown a large sac beneath her, on which she now sat. It pulsed and moved grotesquely. Where it pressed against the glass the Weylanders shone a light through its flesh, and they saw them. Eggs. At least twenty of them by now. And it would not be long before she started laying them. Mr. Weyland was waiting for that day as if it were Christmas. He would not have to wait much longer.

Only two hours into the fourth day of lockdown, and the Queen had already laid around fifteen eggs. And there were more on the way. So much more.

The Weylanders cautiously ventured close to the glass chamber. They watched as another egg emerged from the sack; imagining the wet, sticky, squelching sound it made as the Queen pushed it out. It gently fell to the floor of the container, coming to rest among the others. Her Majesty released a small hiss. She appeared exhausted.

"Sedate her." The Weylanders jumped as their boss' voice rang through the silent room.

One raised his hand. "Why, sir?"

Mr. Weyland stood from his chair and cross his arms behind his back. "She is drained. Now would be the perfect time to remove the eggs from the chamber and place them in a separate unit. After all," he shrugged. "We must make room for more."

And so it was done. The scientists injected gas into the Queen's chamber that knocked her out cold, and an extraction team entered in specialized suits to take the eggs. They were transported to a small, climate-controlled room not far down the hall where they were to be studied and examined. Maybe even a few taken apart. Who knows.

When the Queen groggily awoke from her sedated slumber and saw that her children had been taken from her, she unleashed a blood-curdling shriek. It was heard throughout the facility; ricocheting down the corridors, vibrating through the doors, seeping into everyones very bones. It was horrifying.

Those in the room with her were practically stuffing their hands in their ears. Their eyes were squeezed tightly shut and many were grinding their teeth with pain. Mr. Weyland was gripping the railing as if a monsoon was about to blow him backwards; his arms were locked, his knuckles white, eyes wide, lips pursed in terror and awe.

The very Earth breathed a sigh of relief when the Queen's cries died down. She returned to a passive state, whimperinging quietly, but overall appearing calm. If someone had been wearing headphones playing loud music, they probably wouldn't have noticed anything had happened.

People picked themselves off the ground. They pressed their hands to their ears and then brought them back down to look at. Checking for blood. Mr. Weyland has regained his composure. He cleared his throat and smoothed back his fading hair.

"Continue," he said. Everyone stared at him incredulously. After what had just happened, he wanted them to take more eggs?

"Do I pay you to stand around gawking like a bunch of morons?" His voice was tense. "I said get moving."

Reluctantly, the scientists began the process again; sedating the Queen and removing a few eggs at a time. Each time she reawakened, the Queen seemed more at ease. Obedient. They assumed she had been frightened by first sedation and had now become accommodated to the process.

This was far from the truth. If a Xenomorph could have a smug look on their face, the Queen would be wearing a mighty one. If only those simple, stupid humans knew... every egg they took was another grain of sand in the hourglass. And their time was almost up.


	5. Chapter 5

She rolled her head to the side, removing a crick that was forming in her neck. Her arms were suspended, her fingers poised. The cello had been tuned to perfection and polished until it shone brilliantly. The bow hovered mere centimeters above the strings. One move would create a sound. Despite the beautiful weather, droplets of sweat trickled down her back and seeped into the fabric of her dress. She was nervous, as she always was before a performance, her eye plastered on the aisle to her right.

There were rows of white chairs lined up on the beach, ringed by lanterns and white ribbon. Every single one of them was full. The sand was scattered with vibrant rose petals leading to a large silk gazebo decked out in flowers and random greenery. Kara and two other people, both on violin, were to the left. Next to them were three bridesmaids. On the opposite side were the groomsmen, and the priest standing patiently under the gazebo next to a jittery Lukas. It was oddly quiet for so many people in one place. The only sound was the soft wind and the ocean waves rolling behind them. Everyone was waiting.

Finally, she came. Kayla carefully walked over the sand led by her father. Her wedding dress was absolutely stunning. Her hair and makeup were done to perfection. The wind blew just right, causing her vile to billow out behind her. She absolutely glowed.

The bow struck the strings and the crowd stood as "Here Comes the Bride" radiated through the air. Kara swayed with song, leaning into the mellow tone that came from beneath her fingers. The song reached a crescendo and faded as the bride reached the gazebo and turned to face her husband-to-be. Kara opened her eyes to see the couple beaming at each other. She laughed quietly to herself. Her brother's smile always had an innocent, goofy, lopsided angle to it.

The priest cleared his throat and began the long sermon that would bind Kayla and Lukas as partners. Kara took this moment to drift in and out of consciousness. The ocean in the background helped lull her into a daze. She had heard this spiel countless times from all of the venues she had attended.

Eventually, Kara snapped out of her stupor as the priest reached the end.

"Lukas Morgan, do you take Kayla to be your lawfully-wedded wife?"

The "I do's" were said, tears were shed, and the newlyweds kissed. She returned her bow to the strings and played a suit as the two walked back towards the rented venue, surrounded by cheering relatives. The violinists shook Kara's hand, complementing her talent with the cello, then quickly followed the crowd. She bet that they were heading to the cocktail bar. She laughed at the thought of their disappointed faces when they get there and find no alcohol. Lukas was wholeheartedly against the consumption of such drinks at the biggest event of his life.

Kara stood and stretched, cracking her back. She was alone on the beach. She looked a the building where Lukas and his beautiful wife were now celebrating the future. Laughter could already be heard drifting across the sand and through the palm fronds. She smiled, gazing out at the light sparking on the waves. Words couldn't describe how proud she was of her brother. He had achieved so much in such a short amount of time; a great education, a steady career, a wife... Kara always said that Lukas had the brightest future out of the two of them.

A few happy tears roll down her cheeks, letting out her emotions now that she was away from everyone. She never liked crying in front of people and she wasn't the best at opening up. Unfortunately, this heartfelt moment was ruined by the loud obnoxious roar of a helicopter. She looked down the beach and saw the thing emerge above the tree line. It was small, black, and it glinted in the sun like an annoying beetle. Her eyes followed it as it flew overhead, the thumping of its blade drowning out the crashing waves. She raised her arm and wave a single finger at the pilot. _Thanks for wrecking the moment, bro!_ Kara sighed, running her fingers across her cheeks and flicking away the tears as the sound of the helicopter faded into the distance. She locked her cello in its case, taking one last look at the beautiful beach scene before trekking over the sand towards the venue.

One other thing she loved about her brother: he always kept his word. He said he'd be married on the same beach as their parents. And she thought he delivered pretty well on that promise.

* * *

As the hours passed, the party didn't die down one bit. Everyone was talking, laughing, eating, and dancing nonstop. The tables were full of delicious delicacies, deserts, and sparking drinks (to substitute for alcohol). A few children chased each other around, and the parents chased their children. There was no shortage of photography either. Cameras and iPhones flashed everywhere. It was a wonder how they didn't run out of storage. Kara was sure peoples' faces were going to ache tomorrow from all of the smiling.

Kara had just struck up the band, consisting of friends from her years playing at FSU, and they were blasting an upbeat, old-timey swing tune. She put her lips to her mouthpiece and breathed life into her saxophone as the music started to seep into the air, taking affect rather quickly. Lukas took Kayla by the hand and led her out onto the dance floor. She shrieked happily as he spun her around and waltzed her around the dance floor. Those who were outgoing and not afraid of making fools of themselves were the next ones on the dance floor, followed by the more quiet and shy of the attendants. It wasn't too long before the whole venue was on their feet.

Kara smiled around her mouthpiece, looking over her stand at her brother. He was so indescribably happy as he dance with Kayla in his arms. The love could be seen clearly in their eyes, even felt in the air around them. She laughed to herself. Those two were adorable. And the height difference made it even better.

As Kara sat there, surrounded by friends, family, and music, determined to do nothing but play the night away, she thought that there was nothing in the world that could shroud the bright future before her brother and her family.

If only she knew what was waiting for them just down the beach.


	6. Chapter 6

Mr. Weyland rubbed his temples as the helicopter door was slammed shut and the pilot quickly lifted off of the facility roof. He looked down, chuckling darkly at the quite nature of the exterior, knowing full well the carnage that ensued on the inside.

How could it have happened? He had thought of everything. Every possible scenario, every sort of mishap. He had solutions, procedures, plans. Where did he go wrong? What did he miss?

He knew something was wrong when that scientists staggered into the room; eyes bulging, froth running down his lips, hands clawing at the air as if he were drowning. Weyland knew it. But, he should have known sooner. He should have known when their report didn't come back on time, but he had thought of a happier alternative, such as faulty signal or the fact that they forgot to push "Send." He should have known when the Queen became more willing to have her eggs taken, when she became more passive. He should have known when he felt her, her invisible eyes boring into him, overcome with such... malice. He could feel her hatred towards him, her unspoken desires to tear him limb from limb.

And yet, he had let it pass. He had done nothing. And now here he was, flying away while the Queen and her spawn rampage through the facility. He prayed for the souls of the scientists still trapped in that damn building.

As they flew away from the facility and over the beach, Mr. Weyland looked down at the scenery. The palms, the white sand... all so beautiful. Oh look, a gazebo. So many chairs it must have been a wedding. There's a girl. He leans closer to the window and squints. Must be a wedding attendant by the looks of that dress. She's staring up at the helicopter, watching them fly by. A sad laugh escaped his lips as the girl below flicked them off. Such spunk. Little did she know that he deserved it, for he had just dug her an early grave.

Mr. Weyland shuddered. This day would follow him. That poor man's screams as a demon burst through his chest still echoed in his ears. All of those petrified faces, those helpless eyes staring at him as their demise squealed from the twitching corpse. That girl, flicking him off without a care in the world, unaware of her coming demise. But as he closes his eyes, there is only one face he sees crisp and clear. Black as the void, large as life, evil as the Devil himself. Sitting in his mind, stalking him, never letting him forget.

Never wiping that monstrous smile off its face.


	7. Chapter 7

"Fancy joint."

Kara looked up at the building in front of her, one hand on her hip and the other resting on her cello case. Their entourage had just arrived at the resort they would be staying at. It had a modern appeal to it; lightly colored exterior with dark accents, plenty of windows, balconies, and open walkways, ceramic tile roofing, and plenty of greenery. If it isn't apparent yet, the Morgan household has a rather elaborate, if not expensive, taste.

They all trouped into the lobby, oooing and aahing over the beautiful interior. Each family or couple had their own suite, so, unsurprisingly, they excitedly grabbed their keys and bade the everyone good night. Kara waited, hugging relatives and waving until it was just her, Lukas, Kayla, and their parents remaining in the lobby. Kayla's parents were next to leave. They tearfully embraced their daughter and new son-in-law, congratulating the both of them and saying how proud they were, wishing that their wedding was all that they had hoped for.

Lukas smiled and put an arm around his beloved wife. "It was even better than I had imagined it." Kayla nodded in agreement, resting her head on him.

Everyone did that cute little "awww" thing, then Kayla's parents left for their suite. Don and Elizabeth hugged and kissed their son on the cheek, giving the same remarks as to their joy of Lukas and Kayla being officially wedded and ready for the future. They came over to Kara and hugged her as well.

"Love you Mom. Love you Dad," Kara said as they pulled away.

Elizabeth smiled and wiped away a few leftover tears. "We love you, too, Sweetie."

As they left, Kara walked over to her brother and punched him in the arm.

"Ow," he laughed. "Love you too."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "Oh, shut up - hey!" She yelped as her brother picked her up, her feet dangling above the ground. He dropped his sister, receiving a barrage of playful punches to the gut.

"Asshole. I'm gonna miss you," Kara said.

"Yeah, yeah." Lucas ruffled her hair. "I'll see you tomorrow, little sis." She scowled at him.

As he lifted up Kayla bridal-style and retreated to their private suite, he heard her call after them.

"I'm still older than you, Numbnuts!"

* * *

Well, what's next. Think they'll all wake up tomorrow all hunky-dory and be off to their normal lives? Think Lucas and Kayla will buy a house, start a family, and just have a great life together?

I know that's what you're hoping for. And I know you know that it's not gonna happen.

As Kara lays in bed, looking out her balcony window, that's what she's hoping, too. She stretched and curled up under the sheets. Her heavy lids begged for sleep, but her brain kept nagging at her. Some part of her deep subconscious was keeping her aware of everything around her. Something was amiss, but what could possibly happen to ruin such a perfect day (besides that stupid helicopter)?

Her eyes snapped open. She lay prone, listening. Overhead fan, curtains rustling, pipes creaking in the bathroom... what had she heard?

There! She strained her ears to hear past all the white noise. It was muffled screaming. Kara picked her head up, her sleepy eyes forcing themselves open. Someone was screaming. Whether it was a few doors down or right next door, she couldn't tell. But someone was... no they stopped.

 _"One of the kids must be watching a scary movie,_ _"_ she thought to herself. She sighed and reclined back into bed, her adrenaline rush dying down.

Her head was up again no sooner than it had touched the pillow. There was another scream, but this time she knew where it came from: above her. And it wasn't a horror movie scream. Those are usually followed by giggling or swearing. No, this one was a pure terror scream that had no calming resolution. It ended as abruptly as it had started.

Kara was fully awake and alert. There was just silence now, but honestly, that was more terrifying than the screaming. The silence was ominous, chilling, and empty, as if the whole world just keeled over and died. Her heart was pumping and her breath was shallow. This was starting to freak her out a bit.

She bolted up in bed. Now she heard whispering and shuffling out in the hall.

There was a knock at her door, which practically made her jump out of her skin. She took a deep breath trying to calm herself and regain her composure. When there was another knock, a bit louder than the last, she sighed and threw off the sheets. As she stood and went to look out the peephole, she heard more whispers and quicker shuffling. Kara stopped. _What the hell?_ Had they moved on? This was answered with a resounding **NO** as her door was thrown off its hinges and sent crashing to the floor.

"What the shit?!" she screamed.

Three men entered her room. They wore dark camo under some sort of military armor. They had all kinds of equipment on their shoulders, backs, and the sides of their helmets. All this was secondary, however. The first thing Kara noticed was the gun barrel pointed at her face.

"We've got a survivor," one of them called out the door. Survivor? Wait, what happened to everyone?

Another voice responded cautiously from the hall. "Are they infected?"

 _Infected?_ She gulped uneasily. That didn't sound good. The one pointing the gun at her face made a hand motion to the other two, and they started searching the room. Like, they looked everywhere.

"What's going on?" Kara questioned the guy, but he didn't offer any sort of answer. He, instead, fired an array of questions at her.

"How do you feel?"

"Uh," she gave him a look. "Confused."

"Does your throat hurt?"

"What?"

"Your throat! Does it hurt?" He sounded... scared?

Kara held up her hands. "Whoa, easy there. No need to shout. And no, my throat doesn't hurt."

"Are you experiencing any chest pain, trouble breathing, or nausea?"

"What is this, a physical? No!"

The two guys who had been searching the suite returned. "We're clear."

They lowered their guns, sighing in relief. A few other men entered, all in the same attire. They looked at her incredulously.

"How the hell did you survive?"

Kara felt her heart skip a beat. "Survive?" Her family. Kayla. Lukas... She inhaled sharply and crossed her arms, taking a seat on the bed. "Care to explain what the hell is going on?"

The man who had pointed the gun at her removed his helmet, revealing a crewcut, chiseled face. He sat beside her. She could feel the intensely troubled air around him, and she could see just how much he didn't want to answer. She looked him straight in the face.

"Where is my fucking family?"

He glanced at the others in the room before reluctantly meeting her gaze. "We don't know. They're all gone."


	8. Chapter 8

No.

She stared at the somber army man sitting next to her on the bed. Were they sitting? She couldn't tell. To her, it felt more like she was sinking. Something tugged on her limbs, on her heart, on her mind. Begging to be pulled deep into the cold bed beneath her. To escape this room, to escape the words that had just dribbled from the soldier's mouth like a poison. Flashes of their faces appeared in the mind. Her mother. Her father. Her friends. Her grandparents and relatives. Her beloved brother...

No.

It was killing her. Killing her slowly. The yearning to know. The desperation to find them. But also the fear. Anxiety. What state would they be in when she did find them? If she found them.

She opened her mouth, but it just hung slack. Nothing came out. Just a halting "what" that sounded more like a cough or grunt. It was like her mind was glitching. Someone had tried updating her but had forgotten to add a new operating system.

No.

That's what her entire being was screaming. No, they can't be gone. No, they can't have disappeared. All the hotel occupants? No, this can't be happening. The understanding look on the soldier's face, masking his true fear beneath his sad gaze, confirmed that it was indeed happening. He put an awkward arm around her and patted her shoulder in a form of comfort, but it didn't register. They were all gone. Everyone. She closed her eyes, rubbing her temple. Her mind throbbed with the complete and utter hopelessness of the situation. She couldn't think of anything, nothing, that she could do. What could she of a people, a girl with no sort of combat or tactical training and no life, do now to help her family.

Kara shook herself from her shock. Her mind, though still rattled, had started functioning again. She needed to focus. She needed to start working this out and prioritizing, deciding what questions she needed to ask, what she needed to know, and what the best course of action was. When she entered this state of logistical focus, she felt no real emotion. Her walls were raised, her subconscious completely shut down. No distractions. Just pure, steadfast determination and desperation to solve whatever chaotic problem she faced. In this case, the disappearance of her entire family. Well, at least it wasn't calculus.

"How?" Her voice shook and was barely audible. The soldier turned to her.

"What?"

Kara cleared her throat. _Come on, be strong. They need you._ She opened her eyes and met the soldier's gaze. "How?"

The soldier straightened. He recognized the look on her face. Touchy-feeling-sad time was over.

"The assailants came through via the balcony," he nodded in the direction of the sliding glass door. "All of them were open, none of them were locked."

"Why would they be? We're on the third floor."

He sighed. "Understandable. And unfortunately, an advantage. They are incredible climbers."

He started to continue about the surprising lack of destruction in the rooms, but Kara cut him off. It was pointless information that she didn't need.

"Who's they? Who are the assailants?"

An extremely tense silence enveloped the room. Kara could even feel the tension coming from those still in the hallway. Her nerves tingled and jumped under her skin. Whoever _they_ were, these guys feared them whole-heartedly. Not good.

The men shuffled unsteadily on their feet, shifting their guns around and grinding their teeth. The one on the bed looked at her with a stern gaze. No, was it stern? Pleading. She could see that he desperately wanted to tell her, but something was holding him back.

"You're not going to believe us," he said.

Of course. The typical reasoning behind withholding information. "The entire hotel population just disappeared without a trace, except for me," she shrugged. "If that's possible, I'm sure that I can believe whatever you say. Even if it sounds like complete horse shit at first."

He nodded and ran his hand over his head. _This girl's got spirit_ , he thought. "The files called them Xenomorphs." He glanced at her, but she showed no reaction so he kept going. "They multiply faster than rabbits. Their blood is acid, so killing them up close is hard. Mean SOB's, too; strong, fast, and extremely deadly."

Kara flinched at the last word. The guy noticed and placed a hand on her arm. "There was no blood or any sign of struggle outside or in the rooms. We can safely assume that your family is still alive," he comforted.

 _They better be,_ she thought. _Or else it's your life for theirs._

She released a relieved exhale. "But why would they want everyone? Do they feed on people?"

"No," the guy said. "They use us as hosts for their eggs."

He brought his hands together and made a wiggly motion with his fingers, as if he were trying to make a shadow puppet spider.

"They use these little crawly bitches, and they run around and attach to people's faces. That's how the egg is implanted in the person, and the thing stays on until the egg is about ready to hatch. Then they fall off an die."

Kara stood and paced, going over everything he said. Her family was taken by... aliens. Yep, basically. Most likely, they currently had little crawly freaks attached to their face laying eggs in them. She shivered involuntarily at the image. Now what?

"You said 'hatch.' How do those things 'hatch' out of people?"

The man grimaced. "That's the part I don't think you're ready for."

"Uh, no," Kara stopped pacing. "My family is in danger, so I need to know everything you know."

"Fine," he sighed. "Once the eggs mature, the little demon spawn burst out through the chest of the host." _There. Happy?_

Kara stared at him, utterly grossed out and concerned. She imagined a shapeless something with horns and sharp teeth exploding from the chests of her father and brother and the loving bosom of her mother. She shook her head. _N_ _o, stay hopeful._ "Killing them?"

He laughed darkly. "Yeah, there's no coming back from that." So much for hopeful.

She exhaled heavily and continued pacing. _Alright_ , she said to herself, going through everything in her head. _My family has been taken by some alien creatures with acid for blood and things that attach to your face and lay eggs in you. Eventually, you die because the eggs hatch and the baby creatures pop out. So, my family is breathing on borrowed time._

Kara knelt next to the bed and told the man to scoot. He moved and was able to pull her suitcase out from under her bed and select a pair of jeans and a teal T-shirt. She held up a finger to the man on the bed in a "Wait a moment" fashion, then entered the bathroom and closed the door. The men looked at each other.

One of them spoke up. "What's she doing, sir?"

The leader on the bed got up and crossed his arms. "Hopefully not what I think she's doing."

Kara had changed out of her pajamas and was looking at herself in the mirror. She was haggard; worry lines had already formed in the few minuted they had been talking, her hair was a mess, but it was no time to worry about brushing it and it was too short to put in a ponytail, her eyes were wide and her skin pale with fear. She took a breath, closing her eyes and steeling herself for whatever was to come. She saw the faces of her parents; warm, caring, their hair turning white from years of work to provide a good life for Kara and her brother. The beaming smile of her brother, just married to the love of his life, undying affection behind his eyes. She opened her eyes and stared at herself, silently signing a pact. No matter what, she was finding her family. Alive.

She exited the bathroom and looked at the heavily armed men in her room. They were ready to kill. And so was she. Kinda. She held a hand out and said, "Give me a pistol."

The leader groaned. _Ah hell._

The others glanced at her incredulously. "I'm not fucking around," she said with a deadly stare. "Give me a pistol."

"What are you gonna be using that for?"

Kara looked at the man as if he were a moron, which he actually was in her opinion. "Seriously dude? I'm going with you."

The leader barked with laughter and walked up to her, shaking his head. _Had she lost her mind?!_ "Nuh uh, no way. I'm not babysitting a wannabe-badass with head up her ass. I get it's your family and all, but one: it's too dangerous, and two: you have no clue what you're doing. You are staying here with some of my men. You'll just be a target-"

"Do they smell blood?"

He blinked. "What?"

Kara repeated herself. He gazed at her with furrowed brows. _What kinda drugs did she do in that bathroom?_

"Um, no, I don't think so. Why?"

She responded by punching him in the nose and sweeping his feet out from underneath him, sending him tumbling to the ground. The nerve of this guy, telling her she couldn't help save her own family. Jerk. His men all immediately pointed their guns at her. The guy on the ground swore under his breath as he pushed himself into a sitting position. He looked up at Kara, blood dripping onto his uniform.

"I'm done with this bullshit," Kara said with an unwavering voice. "That is _my_ family that has been taken. That is my mother, my father, my brother that will be dead if we don't hurry up. I know I have no clue what I'm doing, but I'm a fast learner. There will be no objections, Jerkoff. I am coming with you."

He smirked at her, amused rather than enraged. _I_ _f this girl wants to die, be my guest._ Even though it was a stupid move, he admired her guts and devotion.

"Alright, fine."

"Thank you." She reached down and helped him up. The leader, holding his nose, gestured to one of the guys standing nearby. The man removed his gun from his holster and handed it to Kara. Making sure the safety was on, she turned it over and held it out, pretending to shoot. She had played a few first-person shooter games in her time. How much different could it be? _A lot, actually_ , she laughed to herself. Kara looked around at the men in the room.

"Who are you guys?"

The leader picked up his helmet and weapons from the bed. "Call me Stevens. My men and I are a part of an experimental undercover military force called the Colonial Marines." Walking back over to where she stood, he shouldered his rather large gun and put on his best mean-face. "That's all you need to know."

Kara noticed the facade. _Ha, don't fool yourself. You're scared shitless._

"Fair enough, Mr. Tough Guy. I'm Kara Morgan."

He shook her hand. "Very well, Miss Morgan. Let's stop pussyfooting around."

Kara followed Stevens out into the silent hall, their guns aimed and at the ready. Down the echoing stairwell, through the empty lobby, and into the cool night air. Her heart was pumping, the adrenaline speeding through her veins and putting her senses on high alert. Was she ready for this? Hell no she wasn't! Kara could barely keep her supper down she was so nervous. But she didn't show it. She couldn't. She had to stay strong. For her family. No, of course she wasn't ready to kill. But goddammit, she was ready to face whatever shit was about to going down.


	9. Chapter 9

Stumbling again, Kara brushed the sand from her hands and cursed her sneakers. Couldn't they have been built for beaches, too? There are no goddamn mountains in Florida! Why would they sell only hiking sneakers?

They had been running for what felt like a hour along the shore, the beach to their left, what remained of civilization on the right. They had started seeing less and less housing and streetlights, meaning they were heading into undeveloped Florida wilderness. Along the way, the group had stayed low, using whatever coverage was available. Dunes, sand banks, grass, lifeguard stations, palm trees, driftwood, debris, even discarded cooler and umbrellas. Kara had felt absurd at one point, hunkering down behind an open pink flamingo icebox with _OrangeCrush_ and _Diet Pepsi_ still inside while the men scouted the beach ahead. The flamingos even had straw hats and sunglasses on. It was terrible. Well, when you're surrounded by anxious marine guys with big guns following the trail of dangerous aliens, I suppose anything works.

Up ahead, Kara could see the men slowing and grouping up, so she hurried over to where Stevens hid. Thankfully, it was behind some shrubbery and not a vomit-worthy icebox. She huffed, blowing a strand of sweaty hair out of her face.

"Are we close?" she whispered.

He handed her his binoculars and pointed forward, muttering a quiet, "Mm-hmm."

She twisted herself around and peered through the lenses at a massive facility. "Holy shit..." The place, though just barely taller than the resort they were at, made up for it's small stature with its imposing nature. Layer upon layer of barbed wire fencing, roads dotted with checkpoints and lookouts, and thick walls with walkways that she assumed guards patrolled 24/7. However, tonight, there was no one. All the numerous spotlights that would be continuously burning were out, leaving the area cold and dark. The place was dead.

Kara scanned over the base of the facility, looking for a way in but found none. She moved her gaze up the side of the building. No windows, cracks, or crevices. It was sealed tight.

She handed the binoculars back to Stevens. "So, how are we getting in?"

"I sent some of my guys on recon," he said. "We'll figure that out when they get back."

He held up a hand and shook his head, seemingly reading her mind. "It's too risky to go in the way the Xenos do. There will probable be unwanted traffic, and we want to stay undetected for as long as possible."

Fair point. _Come on, girl. Think straight._ Kara sighed and settled against the base of a palm tree. "Your guys better hurry up."

Closing her eyes, she tried settling her rapid heart rate. Yeah, she was scared. Scared for her family and for all the other people who were taken. Scared that she and these Colonial Marines won't be able to save them in time. That they'll all die before they even come close to success. Or victory. Or whatever the hell you call it in this situation.

She exhaled a shaky breath. Her knee was bouncing erratically with all her anxiety, and she had to put the pistol down so she wouldn't pull the trigger by accident. The safety was on, but even so. Just for reassurance. Her nerves were on such high alert that she Kara felt as if one wrong twig snap would send her rocketing up into the air with her ass on fire. She groaned, rubbing her face and holding her head in her hands. Her temples were pounding and she felt winded, as if she was being dangled over the crest of a rollercoaster, awaiting the final plummet. Her limbs were numb and tingly with fear and worry. She felt nothing around her, above her, or beneath her, despite her butt being firmly planted to the ground. She was alone in her own little void. The sensation was terrible.

"Sir!"

The whisper was like a gunshot to Kara. Her breath hitched in her throat and she scrambled for her pistol.

"Whoa, easy there," Stephens placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him, then at the recon guy next to him. "What did you find?"

"Their main route is through the air ducts on the roof," he said, speaking more to Stephens than to her. "We saw a few scuttling around up there, so getting close to the building is out of the question."

Kara groaned quietly, feeling herself sinking back to the ground with dread. Her family was running out of time, and they were stuck outside.

"But," her heart jumped. "There's a small supply shed that hides an alternate escape route from the facility. We checked inside and kept tabs on it, and nothing came in or out. I think that's our best option."

"Let's go!" Kara was on her feet in an instant, but Stephens grabbed her wrist and yanked her back down.

"You better cool it right now," he growled through gritted teeth. "If those fuckers see us we're dead meat, and so is your family. You stay low and follow me, or you stay out here. What's it gonna be?"

 _Get ahold of yourself, Kara. He's right._

She sighed. "I'm sorry. I promise I'll do nothing but be your little shadow."

His gaze softened and he released her wrist. "It's alright, kid. I know you're on edge but try to keep it together, ok? For your family."

She nodded, her gaze flickering back to the shadow-infested facility. _I'm coming for you._

After a bit more sneaking and scurrying, the group found themselves quietly descending a small flight of metal stairs into a cool cement tunnel. They closed the door behind them, plunging them into near darkness broken only by their shoulder lights. Kara stayed as close to Stephens as she could without treading on his heels. Blood was rushing in her ears and to say she was terrified was the understatement of the century. The smallest creaking of the men's leather gloves was enough to make her jump at this point.

The tunnel curved slightly left, then slightly right, then they faced another set of metal stairs. Thankfully the door at the top was still intact and looked untampered with. The men flanked the stairs and the sides of the tunnel, guns trained at the door. Stephens signaled for one of the guys to go up and open the door while Kara peered apprehensively around his shoulder.

Her mind started getting the best of her again, and she started envisioning what would happen within the next thirty seconds. He gets halfway up the stairs, the door shatters to pieces, and screaming demons from Hell rain down upon them. Or, he gets to the top, goes to open the door, a hand bursts through the door to grab him, and screaming demons from Hell rain down upon them. Or, they open the door and...

 _Click_.

Nothing. The handle turns and door swings open silently. Nothing waiting to rain down upon them. Just cold, dead silence and faint white light. Kara released a shaky breath. Goddamn imagination got her nerves on fire again. Stephens looked back at her and made eye contact, using an imaginary key to lock his lips. The move was subtle, but the message was intensely terrifying. _Not a sound, or else we're fucked_. Kara nodded and copied his gesture, even going as far as to throw the key over her shoulder. _Might as well_. Stephens gave her a small smile before turning around and quietly advancing up the stairs and into the facility. Kara followed close behind, gun drawn, eyes peeled, and armpits sweaty.

 _Holy hell,_ she thought to herself. _What the fuck did I get myself into_?

* * *

 **AN ~ So sorry to my followers. I got the glitch fixed and then I had to do college applications and then school started and then life just kinda consumed my urge to write. But, I'm on break, so I actually have time so sit down and work on this. More frequent updates I promise.**


	10. Chapter 10

The tunnel had spit them out into a small supply closet that was barely big enough for two people to stand next to each other. The walls were lined with shelves full of vials, cleaning chemicals, microscopes, and other sciency stuff. Directly across from them was another door that no doubtedly led into the actual facility. Stephens approached the door and beckoned for one of his guys to come forward. Kara moved out of his was as best she could, as he probably had the biggest backpack out of everyone there. _Looks like he's their pack mule_ , she thought.

"How close is it?" Stephens asked.

The Pack Mule pulled out a bulky iPad lookin' thing and started tapping the screen, pulling up stuff that Kara couldn't quite see nor understand what little she saw. But she did see his face, lit up by the screen in front of him. He was young. Older than her, but certainly not the face of a veteran.

"Fairly close, but it's not going to be a walk in the park. The target is two floors down in one of the bigger labs, so there will be plenty of bogies on the way. The cafeteria is just down the hall to the left. If we're looking for survivors, that'd be the place to start."

Stephens nodded and turned to Kara. "OK, real quick. Very important information so listen and remember." Without waiting for her acknowledgement, he kept going.

"All the Xeno's are being told what to do by a really big fucker downstairs. After we check the cafeteria for survivors, we've gotta go down there, making as little fuss as possible, and kill it. Then, the other ones will swarm us but, since they have no orders, they'll be easier to deal with. Got it?"

Kara gave him a thumbs up, as prepared as she was ever going to get. "We've got this."

He smiled. "Keep your head on a swivel. It's go time."

The door inched open with barely a sound. The hall was void and uncomfortably untouched. The tile floor gleamed dimly under the white lights far above, marred only by a few scuff marks that could have been made by daily laboratory traffic. It smelled not of blood and death, but rather faintly of Lemon Lysol. Kara started to wonder if the aliens were able to alter reality and they were instead standing in the midst of scratched walls, flickering lights, and corpses. It was unsettling how normal it looked.

Stephens signaled with his hand and some men moved ahead of Kara and him. They crept down the hall in a rectangular sort of fashion; four men up front, then her and Stephens with the rest filling up the space behind them. The silence seemed to hold on by a string as they made their way towards the cafeteria. Kara glanced down every hallway they passed, her mind fabricating that a tall, spindly, faceless grey being was looming at the end, waiting to greet and dissect them. But each hall was empty; as clean and spotless as the one before it. _Goddammit, Kara._ She furrowed her brows. _Don't let your fucking imagination get to you._

The door, which was two sliding panels that met in the middle, was unscathed. The group crouched low and flanked either side of the door. The men had their guns aimed and at the ready while the Pack Mule fiddled with a small screen protruding from the wall, which Kara presumed would open the door. Without even looking at them, the Pack Mule connected a few wires and gave the group a quick thumbs up before punching a few buttons, the door sliding open with a soft _hisssss_ …. Kara swallowed hard, trying to steel herself for whatever laid beyond. Following close behind Stephens, everyone stepped into the cafeteria. Or, what was left of it.

It was carnage. Complete and utter destruction. Tables and chairs were flipped, scattered, shredded, split in half, bent at weird angles, and tossed around the room every which way. The buffet line was ripped from its foundations and was laying on its side, food smeared everywhere. Behind it, the kitchen was in similar disarray; pots and pans littered the floor and cupboards were ripped open, some of the doors completely off of their hinges. Kara shuddered. _People must have been hiding in there_. And there was blood. Streaks of it running across once pristine white floor, the fluorescent lights making it glow sickly. There were a few splatters here and there on both the floor and the walls, but it was in such a small amount that Kara presumed it was from people tripping and hitting their face or heads in their attempt to flee. She'd seen something similar when her brother had fallen off of his bike, splitting his chin open and shattering a few of his teeth.

Kara's eyes followed the blood trails to the opposite side of the cafeteria. Where she presumed there had once been a door was a gaping hole. The wall was peeled back and viciously scratched all to hell where something (or a lot of somethings) had forced their way through. The light from the cafeteria only faintly illuminated the rails of a stairwell leading into darkness. It looked like something out of a nightmare, and by God, Kara was terrified. She looked at the faces of the men surrounding her, hoping to find them filled with a courage and resilience she could feed off of. But their faces were still and sullen, jaws set and clenched, desperately trying to hide the fear that shown clearly in their eyes. The poor Pack Mule was white as a sheet and looked like he would crumble under the weight of his uniform alone. _Shit_. Seeing them just as afraid as she was made her stomach turn and her legs tremble slightly. _We're so screwed, aren't we?_ She inhaled deeply, trying to feel some sort of calm, and felt bile rising in the back of her throat. She hadn't noticed it before, too distracted by the scenery, but the mixture of spoiled food and dried blood was absolutely putrid. Week-old road kill fermenting on a muggy day smelled better than this.

Gagging as quietly as she could, Kara turned to Stephens. He was stiff as a board, eyes clouded and staring at the hole across the room. She placed her hand on his bicep and that seemed to bring him around. His breath hitched and he swallowed, making his throat click. His eyes locked on her before darting around the room.

"…Knew it was gonna be bad… wasn't expecting – uh… I thought there would be – shit…"

Kara's grip tightened on his arm. He stopped blabbering and, seeing the strain in her features, knew that he had to get his fucking shit together. He was the leader of this team. They were counting on him to give orders and complete the mission, not freeze up like a spineless coward. Though the stupid training hadn't exactly prepared them for this (basic simulations where horse shit compared to reality), they had been trained to assess and adapt to situations. And that's exactly what they had to do now. Besides, he had made a promise.

He sighed, rolling his shoulders. "Sorry kid. I guess I got a little too hopeful." He clasped the hand that was on his arm. "The Xenos will have taken everyone down to the lower levels where they build their hive. Your family will be down there, along with any other survivors."

Kara stared back, eyes filled with reserved hope and fear as to the fate of her family. She prayed that they would make it in time. Stephens and his men were her only chance. She smiled faintly and gave his arm one more squeeze, conveying that she trusted him and that she was ready to face the demons alongside him. He nodded, letting go of her hand, leaving here with a growing sense of courage.

"Close the door," he told the Pack Mule. "We don't want anything coming in behind us."

Kara watched the door close and seal shut, stifling a whimper at what she saw. There were more scratch marks; small and shallow, surrounding the area where the two sliding panels met. Undoubtedly left by people frantically trying to pry their way to freedom before they were dragged off into the dark depts of the hive. All of her renewed bravery left her. _Oh for fucks sake_.

\- To be Continued -

 **AN - What the hell... I'm about to graduate from high school and head off to college? When did this happen?! I'm sorry to whoever still reads this. Time escaped me and I've been swallowed up by homework and final tests. I apologize for the unprecedented delay in development. More updates to come! Pls don't hate me! :)**


	11. Chapter 11

Around the splintered tables and over the mangled chairs, ten Colonial Marines and one ordinary adolescent did their best not to slip on rotting food as they neared the gaping entryway. Stephens took the lead, followed by Kara, the Pack Mule, and the rest of the men. Their shoulder lights had kicked back on, dimly piercing the darkness and illuminating the metal flights as they spiraled downwards. Kara took notice of how the walls began to change. The smooth metal panels were now covered with lumps of a shiny grey substance. There were some parts where the lumps looked like ribbed tubes, appearing from the walls and then then dissolving back into them. The walls also seemed to be closing in on them as they descended, the grey stuff now reaching from the walls and clinging to the railing. Besides the hushed breathing of the Marines and the thumping of her own heart in her ears, Kara could hear a wet crackling, popping sound. She stifled a disgusted "ugh" when she saw that it was the walls, floor, and ceiling, all overtaken with the grey mass, that was making that sound. It was oozing and dripping a gross clear slime that reminded her of ungodly thick saliva. It felt like the staircase would never end and they would be tortured by the sound of the slimy walls for all eternity, but they eventually came to a small grated platform (also coated in slime).

More stairs descended to their right. To their left, the platform led into a large open room with more branching hallways. It was impossible to distinguish what the room once was, as it was completely overtaken with the grey mass. In some parts, it reached down from the ceiling and created a lumpy pillar. And the sound, that wet popping sound, only intensified and it made Kara's skin crawl.

Stephens quietly addressed the Pack Mule and his iPad. They both made a few hand gestures, exchanged head nods, and then Stephens beckoned for everyone to gather around him.

"We're on the upper level of the hive. The target is two floors below us."

He spared a quick glance at Kara. "We're going to check each level for survivors on our way- better to do it now before shit hits the fan," he directed it towards a few men who shifted uneasily. "We do it thoroughly but as quickly as possible."

"And if we find any?" Kara asked hesitantly.

"We'll send you and two others back to the surface with them," he said. "Get them to safety and stay there."

He placed a hand on her shoulder. He searched her eyes, hoping to find that spark he had seen back at the hotel. That fierce, albeit slightly irrational, courage and unyielding devotion. He hoped that what they had already seen and the idea of what lay ahead hadn't extinguished it. But when he looked, he saw it. Though fear had eaten some of it away, it was there, still burning in those green irises. And that gave him hope; hope that they would find her family, that they would be able to complete their mission, and that she would make it out of this alive.

"That's your duty, soldier. Get survivors to safety."

Kara straightened, jaw set and eyes sharpened, though still tainted with uncertainty. _My duty._

Stephens nodded, as if hearing her thoughts. _This is it, kid. I believe in you. I know you're willing to go in there and kick ass until you drop, but PLEASE don't do anything stupid. This is a make or break situation. You better not break us, or so help me god, I'll find you in the fucking afterlife and wring your neck._

Everyone turned towards the large room and its slimy corridors. Their steps squished unsettlingly as they started to cross the wet, uneven floor. Ahead of them were four separate hallways leading into darkness, still and silent save for fain drips of slime. A quick scan from another piece of the Pack Mule's equipment show that the four halls eventually met up and led to another staircase. Stephens split the group up into three groups of three and one group of two… himself and Kara. Even though he felt that she would be fine with any of his men, he wanted to keep tabs on her. He supposed that he felt responsible for protecting her.

Without a word, the group split up, Kara and Stephens taking the right-most hall. Looking behind her, Kara gulped as she saw the lights from the other men slowly disappearing down the other halls. She prayed that she'd see them again at the convergence.

The two crept down the hall, which was rounding out and looked more like a tunnel the farther they went. Kara kept her gun low, arms tense, occasionally wiping the cold sweat from her shaking hands. Her eyes darted over the walls, following Stephens' flashlight as he looked. She felt as if they were pressing in on her, wrapping their slimy tendrils around her lungs and her head and squeezing. Though she had never experienced claustrophobia before, she imagined that this is what it felt like.

They walked a few more feet down the tunnel, noticing nothing out of the ordinary (or, as ordinary as you can get in a fucking alien hive). The walls hadn't changed significantly, but the tunnel itself was starting to curve to the left. They were getting closer to the convergence. Kara felt a small wave of relief wash over her. During their trek (which must have lasted only 10 or 15 minutes) she had not heard a single scream, hiss, growl, gunshot, or ominous footstep ahead or behind them. For once, the silence was welcoming. At least, it was for a few seconds. That was until Kara's eyes froze and she suddenly clutched Stephens' arm, yanking him to a halt. He spun his head to look at her, training his flashlight on her face. Her features had grown taunt and pale, eyes wide and staring, lips pursed, nose flared. Her breathing was coming short and rapid, and her fingers dug into his arm even through his thick uniform.

"What?" he whispered frantically. He hadn't heard anything before she stopped him. She must have seen something. "What is it?"

She said nothing, eyes unwavering. She picked her arm up slowly, hand still clenching her pistol. A trembling finger pointed ahead. Stephens followed her finger with his flashlight, illuminating the curve in the wall just ahead of them. His blood froze. "Oh God…"

It was a face. Sunken, drooping, and as grey and lifeless as the walls surrounding it. Its eyes were closed but there was a white, pussy liquid flowing from under the lids and running down its hollow cheeks. Its jaw hung slack in an eternal moan of pain, exposing a spongy-looking black tongue framed by once pristine white teeth. The skin looked slightly puffy and swollen from being surrounded by constant moisture, but it wasn't bloated. It just looked like it was slowly melting away under the slime. Besides the face, the only other part of this corpse that was exposed was its chest. Rather, what was left of it. The flesh and ribs were mangled, as were a majority of the visible internal organs. The wound, though just bigger than Stephens' fist, looked like the gaping maw of some vicious monster. All of the inner organic material was just as spongy and puffy as the face had been. A few pieces of lung even dangled from the opening.

Stephens swallowed the bile that was rising in the throat. "Oh… God." He felt Kara trembling beside him as his flashlight roamed over the body. He caught a glint of something rectangular poking out of the mass that clung to the body like webbing. It took nearly all of his fucking courage to take those three steps forward to get a better look. Kara's grip tightened in protest, not wanting to look at the horrific sight any longer. Using the tip of his gun, Stephens moved a bit of the slime away from what he discovered to be a name tag.

"Goddammit," he breathed. "It's one of the scientists. Poor bastard…"

He looked down at Kara. That spark in her eye was nearly depleted, replaced by pure fear and terror. Her heart was pounding faster than she thought it ever could, the furious rush of blood making her skin tingle. Her gut was churning not only at the sight of the corpse, but at the thought of the indescribable agony this poor person must have experienced. It was pretty easy to figure out that this is the result of the birthing process Stephens had mentioned in the hotel, and looking down, she saw the rotting remains of a skeletal, spidery-lookin' bitch. She nearly cried thinking of her family having to go through this torture. If they didn't make it in time…

Stephens recognized the look of hopelessness glazing over her features. _Oh no you don't. You're not losing that spunk while I'm around._ He started walking, pulling her away from nightmare plastered to the wall. Her legs were stiff and protested at the movement, but she followed him like a zombie.

"Come on, Kara. We've got to move," he wrapped an arm around her back and pushed her to walk faster. "I need you. I need that courage. Don't fall short on me now, it'll only get worse-" They rounded the corner and had just about entered the convergence. _Fuck. Speak of the Devil_.

All of the fucking laboratory staff was there waiting to greet them. Stephens pulled Kara's head into his chest, muffling the cry that escaped her. She had hoped she'd never see anything so horrific as that first corpse ever again, but now the image of slimy grey bodies and spongy innards hanging from the walls would forever be seared into her mind. She scrunched her eyes against the tears that wanted to flow. _Get it together. For fucks sake… Mom, Dad, Lukas… Oh God please… please let them be alive._

One group of three was already there, but Kara had hardly noticed them. The other groups entered the convergence soon after, the squish of their steps the only sound besides Kara's soft whimpers. All of them looked wide-eyed and pale. Stephens, thankful they had survived thus far, mouthed "Survivors?" All of his men shook their heads. He grimaced. The stairway was just to their right, coated in a thick layer of gray shit, and it looked like more bodies were lining the walls on the way down.

He glanced at the brown head buried in his chest. She had stopped shaking, but he felt her heart hammering. In this moment, a moment where she let her walls fall down, he realized just how small she was. In the hotel and on the beach, she had held herself tall with such strength that he hardly noticed her miniature frame, but now she had crumpled under terror and a growing sense of despair.

He sighed and bent his neck down to whisper closer to her ear. "Listen, Kara. I know that this is horrible and terrifying and you're feeling way out of your league (which she kinda was). But you can't let this stop you. You've got to power through this for yourself and your family."

Stephens started carefully walking towards the stairs, making sure to note trip her. "Keep your eyes closed until you're ready. You've got until the bottom of the stairs to be ready, though."

Kara nodded and removed her head from his chest. However, she did keep her eyes firmly shut. Stephens kept a hand on her shoulder to support and guide her, so both of her hands had returned to her pistol. Her feet firmly squished on each step, and in her darkness, it seemed that she kept spinning round and round. It was a very disorientating feeling, but she couldn't bring herself to open her eyes yet. _Ready? There's no way in hell I'll ever be ready by the end of the stairs. Come on, girl. Suck it up. You've got to be ready. Be ready!_

Her foot hit the ground again, but this time Stephens stopped her. "We made it to the next level… there are-" She heard him swallow. "There are more bodies here. It looks like the hotel staff."

The gruesome sight that met her eyes when they snapped open was worse than the one from the floor above. This level consisted of just three large tunnels that led straight ahead to the adjacent staircase. Every wall was lined with the bodies evenly spaced every few feet, like twisted wall decorations. These ones were not as old; though they were coated in slime and trapped by grey tendrils, their skin still held the fading tint of life. The flesh of their chest wounds weren't as puffy and were a sickly punkish hue. But Stephens had been right. She did recognize them as members of the hotel staff.

Steeling herself against a shudder, Kara looked to Stephens. Her face was cold and stern, but hope was starting to burn in her eyes again. Perhaps her family was still alive, and if they were infected, maybe the Pack Mule had something to save them. _Please don't be infected_.

"I'm as ready as I'm going to get. Let's hurry up and get through this shit," she whispered. Stephens almost smiled. _She's back_.

The group split up again, two groups of three and one of four, containing Stephens and Kara. The larger group took the center tunnel, huddled close together and moving quickly so not to have to look at the semi-fresh emaciated bodies for long. One glance at each told them that no one was alive. When they all met back up, the other groups had the same news: not a single living soul. Two whole floors filled with nothing but corpses. This discovery made Kara's blood run cold and her adrenaline spike. Her family…

She practically dragged Stephens down the stairs. "Come on, we've got to move," she said. "My family is running out of time."

Stephens grabbed her forearm and slowed her pace. "Ease up and get your head out of your ass! We've been lucky to not have encountered any Xenos so far. My guess, they'll be on the lower floors with the target and-"

He stopped when she spun to face him. "The fresh meat," she whispered. Her eyes widened. _Oh God_.

She took off down the stairs as quietly as she could, leaving the men behind. She had to hurry. Her family was running out of time. The pistol was aimed ahead into the darkness. She didn't stop to think about needing light, as she was starting to see a faint glow below her. Some of the lights were still working. Hurry, hurry, hurry! _Mom, Dad, Lukas! I'm almost there!_

She hit the bottom the stairs, the platform faintly illuminated by the overhead lights covered by grey slime. Before her lay one large room, empty except for the overhanging lights, the ribbed tubes protruding from the walls, and…

"No…"


	12. Chapter 12

Numb.

Why was numbness always the feeling that accompanied shock? Whether it was jumping into a cold pool or turning around to find your fiancé on their knee with a ring in their hand, one always felt numb. Just for a few moments, your skin prickling while your nerves figure out what signals to send, and then the emotions sort themselves out and rush over you. Yes, numbness was usually followed by a powerful rush of emotion.

But today, a day of days, on a lower floor in a laboratory overrun by an alien hive, one person broke the norm. Kara Morgan felt nothing, and thought that she would continue to feel nothing forever.

She didn't feel the impact when her knees met the ground. She didn't feel the gun slip from her hand and plop down into the gunk beside her. She didn't feel when her hands slipped behind her head and grabbed fistfuls of hair. She didn't feel her eyelids trying furiously to blink away reality, which they eventually gave up. There was no point. Kara had already broke. Her nerves, her heart, her emotional comprehension, all of it shattered by the reality before her; she was too late.

The wet dripping of slim was accompanied by drips of blood. Their faces… the faces of her family… stared at her. Some had their eyes closed, but others had died with their eyes open. Some head hung limply forwards while others were thrown back, supported by their shoulders. She saw mother, her loving bosom now crimson and torn apart. Her father was next to her, and she realized that their heads were inclined towards each other. They had died together, eyes open, uttering one final "I love you" before their hearts ruptured.

She saw her cousins, her aunts, her uncles, her grandparents, her college friends from the band, as well as Kayla's friends and family. Her parents had died together, too. Every single one of them, no matter if their eyes were closed or open, seemed to be staring at her. Pleading, asking one single question: Why didn't you save us?

A scream was starting to build in her chest. No, not a scream, a wail. A bloodcurdling, heart-wrenching wail that would rip through the tunnels and send the aliens running to greet her. But Kara didn't know if she cared or not. Looking at her family, she decided that she would welcome death. What else did this world have for her? She would be alone, completely and utterly alone if she survived. Yes, why not welcome death?

Kara closed her eyes and inclined her head, a sick smile twitching on the edge of her lips. _Let's call in the cavalry, shall we?_ However, the wail died in her throat when she heard something to her left. Her eyes snapped open and she whirled to face where it had come from. What was it? She had barely heard it, but she knew something was there. Eyes roaming the wall, they caught movement in the grey mass. Then she heard that sound again, coming from that spot, and realized that it was a moan. Someone was alive.

Kara scrambled to her feet and sprinted to the wall. Whoever it was was buried deeper than the others. As she yanked and broke away slimy chunks, she ran through her head everyone she had seen. _Mom…Dad…Nana…Papa…cousins…._ She glanced to her right and saw Kayla, so small and barely visible, dark hair clumped and falling over her face. _Kayla…Kayla's parents…Oh my god_ …. Kara feverishly ripped away one last chunk.

"Lukas…"

His face was pale and gaunt underneath the slime. She could see his eyes rolling around behind his lids, his breathing shallow and haggard. Kara released a shaky breath herself as she reached up and cupped his cheeks.

"Oh god, Lukas," she smiled in relief. "You're alive."

Her bother moaned again and opened his eyes barely a crack. "Kara…?"

"Yes! Yes, Lukas, it's me! I'm going to get you out of here."

She spun around at the sound of footsteps. Stephens and the rest of the men had finally arrived. After she had taken off, they had hesitated for a few moments, waiting to hear if she had sprinted into the maws of death. When they didn't hear anything (specifically no screaming), they slowly made their way down after her. Now here they were, ten Colonial Marines looking at a room full of fresh bodies and one frantic girl with her brother trapped in the wall.

"Stephens!" Kara's eyes lit up with hope. "Lukas- my brother is alive! Come on and help me get him out."

She turned back to her brother and started to yank at more of the grey mass that held him captive. Her brother started to moan again, his face twisting in pain.

"Kara…"

Her tugging got more frantic and her face twisted with panic. "It's okay, buddy. You're going to be okay. You're-"

Kara was violently yanked away from her brother. She whirled to face her assailant, a mixture of fury and confusion in her eyes. It was Stephens, but he wasn't looking at her. He was looking at the small, spidery corpse lying on the ground in front of her brother.

"What the FUCK, Stephens!?" She started raising her voice, forgetting about the danger that lurked all around them. Stephens' hand quickly clamped over her mouth and his eyes locked onto hers.

"Shut up," he whisper-shouted. "Shut up and listen. Your brother is dead! He's infected."

His hand was slapped away. "Yeah, so? You can save him." She pointed to the Pack Mule. "You've got something in that pack that can get it out of him, don't you?"

Stephens looked to the Pack Mule, to her brother, then back to her. Something changed in his expression. His eyes were softer than they had been a moment ago, filled with a twinge of pain and pleading for forgiveness. "Kara…"

She staggered away from him, horror and despair overcoming her features. "No."

"Kara," his shoulders sagged. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head, eyes wild. "No. No, you're full of shit!"

Running back to her brother, she ran her hands over his face and through his hair. "Lukas- hey Lukas, look at me buddy."

His eyelids only fluttered and he moaned in pain again. "Kara… it hurts."

"It'll be ok, buddy. I'm here. I'm gonna get you out of this, just hold on." As she pulled, fingers slipping and fumbling on the slimy substance, her brother started to writhe.

"Kara," Stephens and his men took a few steps back. "Come away from him."

She didn't listen. She just kept pulling and dropping the chunks at her feet. She almost had him free. Her brother started to shake, face twisting as he started yelling out in pure agony.

"Lukas! Lukas!" Kara called to him frantically, but it was drowned out by his screams. He started coughing feverishly and blood spew from his mouth, splattering on Kara's face. She heard a sickening crunch and his screams died, head dropping limply to his chest. She took a stumbling step back, hands trembling and reaching for her brother.

"Lukas…?"

Her brother's body jerked violently as there was another crunch, blood starting to pool darkly under his shirt. Kara had retreated back to Stephens, never taking her eye off of the scene playing out before her. She clutched at the Marine as if her life depended on it. With a final crunch, her brother's chest exploded. Gore and blood flew everywhere, and in its wake, a squirming snake-like creature reared its head from her brother's corpse. It opened its mouth and released a high-pitched shriek.

At this point, Kara couldn't help it.

She screamed.

* * *

 **AN: Hello to my readers! Jeez, three chapter updates in, like, two days? What is this?! Thankfully the spark has returned and we're getting into the thick of it. The next few chapters are going to contain the group's fight with the Xenos, and there will be death. It's unavoidable at this point. Pls let me know if you're liking the story and if you have any pointers or feedback! I'd greatly appreciate it. Also, do you have any advice for the** **Prologue? I think it's kinda shit and could use some tips. Thanks again, and enjoy the hunt!**


	13. Chapter 13

The raw emotion that spewed from Kara's throat sent shivers down everyone's spine. Her petrified cry pierced the silent catacombs, traveling up and down every tunnel and soaking into every nook and cranny before dissipating. The echoes hadn't even faded before Stephens jumped into action. He couldn't blame his men for freezing in such a situation; even if their training had prepared them, simulations couldn't hold a candle to the reality they were facing. Still, looking at their wide eyes staring stupidly at what had emerged from the fresh corps, he screamed internally for their lack of action.

Lunging for one of his men, he grabbed a grenade from their belt, pulled the pin, and flung it down the stairwell from whence they'd come. Without looking back, Stephens grabbed Kara and started sprinting towards the opposite side of the room. The rest of the men snapped from their stupor and ran after them. Behind them could be heard the squishy, wet thunks of the grenade bouncing down the remainder of the stairwell, and underneath that, a faint alien scream. They had reached the opposite side of the room and some of the men were breaking down the wall that concealed the second staircase when the grenade finally went off. The blast rocked the floor and knocked globs of slime from the ceiling, and caused Kara to wobble on her already unsteady feet. She stumbled and, when she went to brace herself on the wall, her hand fell into something squishy and slightly warm. Scrunching her eyes, she quickly pulled her hand from the wall and wiped her hand on her jeans without looking. She couldn't look. She didn't want to know what… who… she had just put her hand in.

One of the men gave a final kick and the last portion of the blockage fell away, revealing an empty staircase. Stephens grabbed Kara again and ran down the stairs, shining his light as far ahead as possible to see if they were running into open jaws. They reached the bottom floor without incident, but Stephens kept running. He led them left and right, in and around tunnels and dark corridors. All the while, Stephens kept praying over and over in his head, praying to whatever greater power watched from above that they could find someplace to hide before the devils caught up with them. One turn later, Stephens yanked Kara into a sunken alcove and signaled for his men to fall in around them. The eleven of them crouched and pressed themselves as far into the shadows as they could, holding their breath, not daring to move or even blink.

Around them the corridors were gratefully silent. The grenade had been enough to pull the swarms attention away from their escape route and their general direction. There was no doubt that there were tens, maybe hundreds, of Xenomorphs scuttling around the stairwells and all of the floors above them right now. It wouldn't be long before they would come back to the bottom floor in search of them. They had to move fast.

Motioning for everyone to circle around him, he spoke in barely a whisper. "We're running on timer. We've got to hit the target while most of the Xenos are up there."

While the Pack Mule showed them the best route, Stephens glanced over at Kara. She hadn't joined them in their little planning circle, instead curling into a near fetal position and hugging her arms around her. Her eyes were glazed over and she was so still it looked like she wasn't even breathing. Looking at her, Stephens felt a wave of guilt wash over him. While he hadn't lied to her, he had given her an empty promise. He had known that there was little to no hope of saving her family alive, and yet he had let her come along anyway. Why? To scar her? To break her? To rub in her face how utterly naïve she was? No, he wasn't that heartless. Thinking back to the hotel room, seeing her courage and loyalty even when presented with such an unthinkable situation, he remembered why. It seemed selfish, but Kara had actually given him hope that they could do it. They could complete their suicide mission and make it out alive, with survivors. For a goddamn second, Stephens had allowed himself to feel hope, and he had brought Kara along to feed off of her moral. He turned away from her, pushing back the sudden sting of tears in his eyes. Kara's fire was out. She would never be the same, he knew that. You can't break someone and put them back together with all of the pieces. Something always went missing.

Returning to the task at hand, Stephens finalized their route and told his men to stay close to each other. "We're not splitting up, not down here. We'll be picked off one by one."

From her shadowy corner, Kara saw a faint orange light trickle across the wall and a soft warmth dance across her skin, making it prickle. She looked and saw that the Marine's guns all had little baby flames dancing at the tip of the barrel. _Huh, they're a gun and a flame thrower in one_. It would have been cool if she cared.

Stephens' hand grasped her shoulder and she picked her head up, looking right through him. He inclined his head towards the tunnel in a "We gotta go" motion. One of his men held out a pistol for her, as she had left hers in her family's tomb. She looked between Stephens and the gun, deciding if she wanted to join them or just sit here and wait for death. _What else do I have to lose? Maybe taking on an alien swarm in my final moments could be fun._ She uncurled herself and took the gun, flipping the safety off and nodding at Stephens. He smiled, thankful that she was still willing to fight. The more eyes (and guns) the better.

They emerged from their hiding place slowly, looking down either passage way and listening for any signs of Xenos. Hearing and seeing nothing, they started sneak-running down the tunnel with Stephens and the Pack Mule leading the way. Kara was towards the middle of the group, running beside one of the bulkier men. The light from their baby flames gave the walls a Hellish tint and made Kara feel a bit more uneasy. It was scary enough seeing nothing but darkness ahead and behind you in a fucking alien hive, but now it looked like they were running through the bowels of Hell. God, it was unsettling.

It felt like they had been running for only a few minutes when Stephens suddenly halted. Everyone stopped and Stephens put a finger to his lips. They were silent, listening. Ahead of them in the tunnel, they heard a breathy hiss and the unmistakable squishes of something moving. Stephens frantically pointed at the alcoves in the walls and everyone hid as quickly and silently as possible. The men shut off their shoulder lights and lowered their flames, plunging them into pitch black nothingness. Kara scampered into a hole next to the man she had been running with, trying her best to melt into the wall. The sounds were getting closer and Kara felt her heart jump into her throat. She clamped a hand over her mouth to hush her breathing and stared wide-eyed into the void. The Xeno entered their section of the tunnel, walking slow and methodically, hissing every now and again.

No one moved, blinked, or breathed as the Xeno passed by their hiding places. The creature made no move against them, only swung its head back and forth as it moved through the tunnel, and Stephens prayed it was because it didn't know they were there. By the time it reached Kara's hiding spot, her eyes had adjusted enough to see its shape, and holy hell was that thing big. It was darker than the darkness itself, it's large head arcing over its tube-laden back. Its back legs were jointed in a way that looked like it had the ability to stand on two feet, but it was currently walking on all fours. Kara saw it had a tail that was twice as long as its thin body, and as it passed, she saw the deadly blade at its tip. Seeing it and hearing it breathing mere feet from where she hid, Kara felt like she was living out a nightmare. Within moments it was out of sight and the squish of its walk had faded into the distance.

Kara didn't dare peel herself from the wall until she saw the flames brighten and some of the shoulder lights kick back on. Carefully, they stepped back into the tunnel. Stephens pointed forwards and they started moving again. As they ran, Kara found solace with the big guy running next to her. His bulk made her feel a bit safer and more protected. If things went well, she'd stick with this guy for the rest of their little adventure.

But, readers, as you have seen thus far, nothing has gone well for our little group. I'd say things have gone pretty poorly. Do you think, after everything they've gone through, that I'll take pity on them? Do you think I'll break the trend and let fortune finally smiled upon them? Don't get your hopes up, my dear readers. If I were a gracious author, there wouldn't be a story to tell.

Hence, no sooner than Kara had found some form of relief in the shitshow the Colonial Marines call a mission, her solace was snatched from her. Literally. One second she was basking in the feeling of a big strong body beside her, and the next she is left empty, open, and vulnerable. She whirled around to see the man's shoulder lights thrashing and his flamethrower gun waving wildly. His strangled screams got the others' attention, and they turned around just in time to see his now illuminated face explode and be replaced with a maw of gnashing teeth. Kara stumbled backwards as one of the other men released a plume of flames from his gun, igniting both the corpse and the monster standing behind it. The Xenomorph tossed the body aside and released a horrific scream, cowering and writhing as it tried to escape the flames. It scampered off down the tunnel, clumps of flames falling in its wake and sizzling out of existence. No one could quite comprehend what just happened, staring in terror and disbelief at the faceless charred corps. Kara took a few shaky steps backwards. _Holy fucking shit! He's dead! He was standing right next to me…_ She felt her heart drop to her heels. _That fucker could have gotten me. Jesus Christ._ However, she didn't have time to appreciate her luck.

The Xeno's cries had barely disappeared before a thousand more echoed in response. The swarm was coming.

"Run!" Stephens shouted.

Kara release a wordless cry, turning on her heel and sprinting after the men. Her mind was on a track and it kept repeating _Holy shit holy shit, run faster run faster, holy shit_. At this point, blinding fear consumed her mind and all she could worry about was keeping up with the rest of the men and not tripping over anything.

The tunnels were nothing but a blur around her. She was running faster than she ever thought she could; so fast that she barely felt the floor beneath her feet. She was no longer trailing at the back of the group, running just barely ahead of three of the men. Their shoulder lights zigzagged erratically, illuminating the rest of the men and the tunnel ahead in a strobe light fashion. It was very disorientating, but Kara kept her focus straight on Stephen's back, the focal point easing some of the headache.

Suddenly, there was a piercing cry directly behind her, followed by a rush of air pass her right ear. The man to her right screamed as the Xenomorph pounced on him, slamming him to the ground. There was another rush of air and a scream to her left as two others were attacked as well. She looked back long enough to see one of them force their gun between themselves and the alien and pump its chest full of lead. The shots were barely muffled by the creature's flesh, sounding like a massive sledge hammer being slammed into a thick pile of raw meat. The Xenomorph shrieked and clawed at the Marine, blood and gore raining down from its destroyed chest cavity. Kara saw the man scream in absolute agony; not from the claws scratching at his armor, but from the alien blood that was sizzling on his skin. His face started to boil, bleed, and then melt away, gaping holes appearing on his cheeks and forehead.

 _Acid for blood…_ Stephen's words from the hotel came echoing back to her. _Fuck me._

The melting Marine's cries quickly ceased as another Xeno arrived and avenged its fallen brethren, crushing the man's head with his palm. The other men that were attacked were not able to give much of a fight and were dispatched quickly, the Xeno's punching their secondary mouth through the back of their skull with a sickening wet crunch. It darkly reminded Kara of the sound an egg made when it was cracked too hard on the edge of a bowl.

Ahead of her, two of the men turned around and ignited their flamethrowers. They continued to run backwards as fast as they could, and Kara, not wanting to become bacon, sped up and was able to make it past them before they lit up the tunnel. She turned back to see a glimpse of the the writhing mass of Xenos, their black skin gleaming devilishly in the firelight. She could see their teeth, long, sharp, and translucent, grinning at her. Mocking her. _You didn't save them_ , they said.

The fire engulfed the swarm. The aliens screeched to a halt (literally), hissing and clambering over each other as they tried to escape. The two Marines never let up on the trigger. They started to walk forwards, continuously dousing the Xenos in flames and driving them back. Some of the aliens tried clambering up the wall and over the ceiling to escape, but one Marines had turned around and was shooting them down. They took a stand against the swarm as the remaining group (now counting only Stephens, the Pack Mule, Kara, and one other) continued forward. Stephens glanced back, silently commending his men's bravery, when he saw one of the Xenos break loose. It scuttled over the floor and up the wall, moving too fast for the lone shooter. It cleared the fire and the gunner, ignoring them and leaping off of the wall towards the remaining four, chunks of flame trailing in its wake. Its arms were stretched out, teeth bared, and it was heading straight for Kara.

Stephens had barely enough time to utter "Watch out!" before the Xeno struck. Kara crashed into the wall with enough force to actually knock her through it and into a small neighboring tunnel. She and the Xeno tumbled end over end as they plummeted straight down into the darkness, her scream fading away.

"Kara!" Stephens called for her out of instinct, but he knew it was no use. He and the others had to keep moving while the swarm was at bay, or else the whole world was fucked. As he turned and ran, he felt an angry cry rise in his throat. He had failed her. He didn't react quick enough and the damn thing got her. All he could do now was pray that she was still alive and, if she was, that she was able to take care of herself. He allowed himself a little bit of hope, because based off of what he'd seen this far, he knew that Kara would not go down without a fucking fight.


	14. Chapter 14

In the dark underbelly of the hive, where no light shone and the silence hung like a damp blanket, a small shadow shifted and groaned. After a good long tumble with her Xenomorph companion, Kara had hit the ground hard and blacked out. She opened her eyes groggily and groaned again, forgetting where she was and initially thinking she was in her room under her blankets.

 _Damn, that was a fucked up dream_ , she thought. In an attempt to roll over, the weight she thought was her cool sheets pressed heavily against her and felt disgustingly damp and slimy against her skin.

The past few hours came rushing back to her and she started to panic. Using her shoulder, she pushed the thing off of her with a grunt. It thumped down beside her and, carefully, she reached out to feel what it was. Feeling the familiar lumps, bumps, and ribbed tubing of the tunnel walls under her fingertips, Kara allowed herself a small sigh of relief. Just some debris. Not an alien.

 _Fuck! Where is it?!_

Her eyes darted around frantically, trying to see something, anything, in the pitch. She considered crawling back under the slab of wall for the sake of a hiding place, but hesitated. If the thing was still alive, it would have heard her and attacked by now. Still, not taking any chances, she slowly slid on her belly back to the wall chunk. She reached over it, hooked her fingers around the edge, and gently flipped it back on top of her. Kara curled herself into a ball, hiding as much of herself as she could and peering out of a little sliver, waiting for her eyes to adjust.

During this time, Kara did a mental assessment of her current state. Even though she was taking slow, shallow breaths, her back and lungs ached. She assumed that the wind had been knocked out of her when she fell. Besides the slime, her left temple felt sticky and there was a dull throbbing. She pressed her fingers there and brought them to her face. Being unable to see and having her sinuses clogged by the smell of slime, she quickly licked her fingers. They had a definitive taste of iron. Other than a few bumps and bruises, and having stiff limbs from lying unconscious under the debris, Kara determined that she was in damn good shape.

After a few minutes, her eyes had gotten used to the darkness and she was able to faintly make out her surroundings. She crawled back out from underneath the debris and got a better look. She was in a small circular room that was big enough for her to stand, and thankfully, she was the only occupant. There were two tunnels; one leading up to her right and one leading down on her left. She looked up and saw the gaping hole that was her point of entry.

 _No way I'm going that way,_ she turned to her right. _And no way am I going up. I don't want to meet the swarm again. Stephens said that the Queen was in the lowest level of the facility._

She looked to her left and gave the tunnel an affirmative nod. _That's where he's going, so that's where I'm headed_.

Before she started off on her own little adventure, Kara made sure to grab her pistol, which wasn't hard to find since it has landed at the mouth of the tunnel. The tunnel was small, just big enough for her to comfortably crawl through on all fours. As she moved through it, her head rubbed against the ceiling.

 _My hair must be a fucking mess_. The thought nearly made her laugh. _What a time to be worried about your hair, Kara._

Her trek was slow, as she tried to keep her ears perked and her noise to a minimum, and it was at a consistent downward slope. The place seemed to be bigger than Stephens had anticipated, because Kara felt like she had past at least a floor and a half before she came across her long-lost companion.

The sight of the Xeno nearly gave her a heart attack and she almost shot it, but seeing as it was sprawled out in the tunnel unmoving, Kara predicted that it had succumbed to its wounds. She poked its tail with her gun, and when it didn't move, she picked it up with two fingers. The once deadly blade hung limp, cold, and lifeless. She dropped the tail with a soft plop and crawled around it, making sure to not touch the body. She saw that its arms were stretched out in front of it, as if it had made one more effort to reach its destination before it died.

 _It must have been running to Mama_. She was on the right path.

Only a few minutes after she had left the Xeno behind, Kara emerged into another chamber. With her eyes now fully adjusted, she could make out the details of what occupied the room before her.

There were at least twenty eggs taking up a majority of the room, or at least that was her best guess as to what they were. They were large, leathery, egg-shaped sacks, and some of them were open like a flower in bloom. So, yeah. Eggs.

Kara saw that there were five more tunnels branching off of the room leading into the hive; three across from her and two on either side. She did a quick assessment of the two tunnels closest to her, not wanting to take her eyes off of the eggs. Both of them went straight and curved out of sight. From her vantage, she couldn't make out where the other tunnels went. She'd have to make her way around the room and look at each one individually.

She decided to move clockwise around the room, as there were more open eggs on the left and less of a chance of her meeting the spidery bitches. The first tunnel led upwards, so that one wasn't an option. The next two tunnels were closer to each other than she had originally thought, so if she made it between them, it'd be easy to see which way they went. The only problem was that they were next to a large section of unopened eggs. At this point, however, she had to take her chances.

Kara pressed herself against the wall as much as possible, keeping her eyes on the tunnels and the eggs. In a last minute decision, she decided to hold her breath, some instinct telling her that the eggs would be able to pick up any sign of life that got too close. Call it blind intuition or call it crazy (or watching too many horror movies), but Kara was able to sidle past four eggs without incident. The first tunnel she passed had a steep downward angle that looked like she could slide right down without a problem. She pressed herself into the alcove between the two tunnels, turned her head to quietly release the breath she was holding and suck in a fresh one, and peeked around the corner of the last tunnel. This one also went down farther into the hive, just at less of and angle.

 _Ok, I've got two choices._ She turned her head back towards the room. _Uh, eeny meeny miny-_

She froze, physically and mentally. A Xeno had crawled out of the tunnel she had originally entered from and was standing on its back feet, its massive head scanning the room.

Kara could feel her limbs starting to tremble and her chest starting to spasm from fear and from holding in her breath. She thought, for a second, that this situation would be like a scene from Jurassic Park; she wouldn't move, the Xeno wouldn't see her, and they'd both move along with their day. However, a Xenomorph is not a T-Rex.

It sensed her or saw her (whichever it does) almost immediately. It bared its teeth and shrieked, whipping its tail so hard it _whooshed_ through the air. The scream brought her back and she swung around the corner of the slide-tunnel, leaping though the entrance and landing hard on her ass. The slime helped her slide faster, but she could hear the Xeno scrambling at the tunnel entrance behind her.

 _Fuck fuck fuck fuck FUCK!_

Kara held on so tightly to her gun that she was sure her knuckles turned white. Her finger was on the trigger, ready for when this thing got to her. But, she couldn't just shoot it. She might be able to take it out, but its blood would kill her just as quick. She had to think, and fast.

The bottom of the tunnel came rushing up to meet her, the impact sent a shockwave of jarring pain up her legs. She rolled end over end into another (thankfully empty) chamber and scrambled to her feet, pointing the gun at the tunnel. There was nowhere to hide. She had to face this thing.

She could hear alien sliding towards her, hissing and growling in the anticipation of a kill. It shot out of the tunnel and landed on all fours with a deadly grace, crouching low and snarling at her with its horrible translucent teeth. Kara snarled right back.

"Come and get me, fucker!"

The Xeno hissed and leapt, arms outstretched and ready to shred her. Kara, thinking back to all of the action movies she'd seen, jumped to the side and trained the gun on the black blur as it flew past. It would have been a pretty badass sequence… if she had been able to pull the trigger.

As the alien flew past her, its tail lashed out and connected with her side, sending her careening into the wall. She landed on her shoulder, grunting with the impact, knowing she was going to be one big bruise if she survived. The Xeno recovered quicker than she did, scuttling across the floor and pouncing on her. Its weight slammed all of the air out her and Kara found herself pinned to the floor. She struggled against her captor and tried to shoot it, not caring that it could result in a slow death for her, but the Xeno had trapped her arms. It towered over her, its head mere inches from her face. It was so close that even in the darkness, she could see her reflection on its shiny skin. It pulled its lips back with a hiss, releasing a stream of drool onto her face. Its mouth opened and a smaller mouth grinned devilishly at her.

 _No, this is NOT how I go out!_

With a primal scream, Kara pulled her knees to her chest and used both feet to kick the Xeno off of her. It obviously wasn't prepared for such a small being to fight back with some power, as it screeched in alarm and flailed a good few feet away from her. She sprung to her feet and ran at the Xeno. It might be suicide, but she knew that any living thing would die if it was shot in one particular place. She had to try.

Kara jumped up onto the Xeno's back between its tubes, wrapping her legs around its arms and pinning them to its sides. Her arms locked around its neck and, using her momentum, she pulled it off of its feet. They both slammed into the ground, the Xeno jerking, bucking, and kicking as it tried to throw its assailant off. Kara kept her legs firmly around the Xeno's arms and threw her weight from side to side, rolling them around and hitting its head as hard as she could against the ground in an attempt to discombobulate the Xeno. It seemed to be working, because it tried stabbing her with its tail and missed nearly every time. It did succeed in slicing her sides, the sharp sting of the blade making her clench her teeth, but she kept fighting.

Kara rolled them onto their sides and let go of the Xenos neck. It tried to use the opportunity to rear its head back and bite her, but it was too confused to do anything except thrash back and forth. Kara stuck her gun under its dome and crammed it into the space at the base of the skull, angling up. Using her other hand, she forced the Xeno's head back, using its elongated skull to cover her hand and shield the rest of her. If this worked, she'd have to move quick to save her hand.

Kara leaned back and gave the Xeno one last glare.

"Fuck you," she snarled, and pulled the trigger.

She pumped three shots into the Xenomorph. The first shot exploded out of the Xeno's mouth, the second blew out the front of its skull, and the third destroyed whatever was left of its hideous face. It released a gurgling wheeze before going limp beneath her.

Kara quickly yanked her hand out from underneath the dome, and tossed the sizzling gun aside. That thing was useless now. She inspected her hand and, feeling only faint pinpricks of pain on her knuckles, was relieved that the gun had taken the brunt of the blood. She rubbed her hands on her pants and clambered off of the Xeno, collapsing on her back from exhaustion.

"Holy hell…. I killed it." She propped herself up on her elbows to look at the dark mass at her feet, not believing that she was alive and it was dead. "I killed it."

She exhaled and pushed herself up to a sitting position, breathing heavily. The adrenaline was starting to wear off and her body was telling her exactly what it thought about the ordeal. Her sides ached from the pummeling and the slime was starting to make the cuts sting. _God I hope they don't get infected_. Her legs, arms, and muscles in general were sore from tussling with that thing. But, it was over. Without a gun, she'd have to be even more careful about moving around the tunnels. She couldn't risk another encounter.

Right on cue, a loud hiss came from directly behind her. Kara spun around and saw another Xeno emerging from a tunnel she hadn't noticed before (as she had been a bit preoccupied). It was obviously pissed to find one of its brethren dead and faceless on the floor by the way it was whipping its tail and snarling at her. Kara scrambled backwards as the thing rushed at her. It grabbed her by the shoulders and hissed in her face, opening its mouth as it prepared to strike. She closed her eyes and attempted to shield her face with her arms, preparing for the final impact, but it never came.

Instead she felt the Xeno being ripped off of her, leaving several gouge marks on her shoulders. Her eyes flew open and she saw the alien get thrown violently across the room and slam into opposite wall. It flailed around and got to its feet, looking around wildly and hissing at the room. Suddenly, its head hit the wall and was still. There was a small hole in the middle of its head that was slowly oozing blood, as if someone had taken a large nail and stuck the Xeno to the wall. There was a really weird rippling affect around the hole and Kara watched in awe as a massive metal spear-thing appeared out of thin air.

"What the hell?" she whispered. She looked around the room utterly confused, seeing no one else in there with her. "Hello?"

Her attention was drawn back to the Xeno wall decoration by a wet crunch. She turned to see the spear pull itself from the wall and drop the alien corpse on the floor. Wait, not by itself. There was something there. She squinted, but the only thing she could see was a faint deformity in the wall that wasn't there before. Then the wall started to do the same weird rippling effect as the spear. Kara watched, speechless, as a hulking figure appeared in front of her. It planted the spear and looked down at her through a large metal mask, dark dreadlocks falling around its shoulders.

"What the hell are you?"


	15. Chapter 15

*Note – from here forwards all italicized font, unless said/written otherwise, represents phrases spoken in the Yautja language*

\- One Day Prior –

The rumbling of the ship's thrusters sent jarring vibrations throughout his body. He pressed himself back into his seat, arms straight, hands gripping the control board tightly, eyes locked forward. His ship rocketed out of the launch portal and into the oblivion of space. Pressing a few buttons, he slowed the ship down to a lazy pace. He released a slow, shaky exhale, the adrenaline from the launch making his limbs tremble. Even though it was not his first time launching out of the mothership, the experience made him anxious every time.

" _Dhi'ki-de, respond._ " A gruff, technology-ridden voice came through the communicator.

Dhi'ki-de pressed a button and spoke to the Yautja on the other side. " _I read you, Kjuhte._ "

" _As it is your first unmonitored hunt, keep your communicator online at all times. I will be checking on you periodically."_

He sighed, knowing his father had asked Kjuhte to keep tabs on him. Even though he was hundreds of lightyears away from the city, the old man had found a way of intervening on his every move. As a freshly Blooded hunter, Dhi'ki-de found this extremely irking. At least he had been able to select his own hunting ground this time.

" _Understood,"_ he responded. There was a beep, indicating that the mothership had cut the connection.

He allowed himself some time before he began his hunt, pulling up the front view screen. Leaning back in his chair, Dhi'ki-de felt a wave of peace wash over him. Though there were many breathtaking planets in the universe, the planet of the Oomans was beautiful in its own right. Masses of swirling clouds blanketing the oceans and reaching across the larger landmasses. The pinpricks of light from the many Ooman cities looking like a small galaxy that fell from the sky and sprinkled itself over the landscape. Though they were primitive, Dhi'ki-de could appreciate their ability to create such a sight.

This planet would provide him with a leisurely hunting ground for this occasion; he was not being observed, so he was not under any pressure to perform in a certain way. He could take his time, clear his mind of all burdens, and enjoy the thrill that came with a hunt without someone breathing down his neck. It had been a long time since he felt this sense of freedom, and it was a welcomed relief.

With a grunt, Dhi'ki-de straightened himself and started the process of piloting the ship towards the Ooman world. He didn't want to delay any longer.

The ship broke through the atmosphere without problem and the Oomans were oblivious. They always were. Flying low over one of the oceans, seeing the light dance off of the waves, Dhi'ki-de decided that he wanted to hunt near where the ocean met the land. There were many vast oceans on his homeworld, some just a short flight away from the city, but the time for such ventures always evaded him. Now, he had all the time in the world, and he decided that he wanted to feel the sand beneath his feet and wind blowing the spray against his skin.

As he flew towards the island of his choice, one of the systems on his ship came to life. A harsh beeping attacked his ears and one of the monitors started flashing at him. He slowed the ship and shut off the irritating alarm, pulling the monitor up to full screen. It was directing him to a peninsula not far from where he was now, showing a small Ooman facility where the ship had picked up signs of…

" _Kiande amedha_ ," he clicked incredulously. " _I did not know they were still on this world._ "

Based off of the ship's readings, he saw that the Oomans had found themselves a kiande amedha mother, and she was brooding. If the Oomans had her contained now, it would not be long before she broke out and infested the world with her spawn. Dhi'ki-de sighed, thinking. He was the only hunter on this planet, and if he signaled the mothership, he would have to relinquish his freedom. As a Blooded hunter, one small swarm seemed like an easy undertaking. He could handle a simple cleansing. The beach could wait.

* * *

Dhi'ki-de had found himself a nice perch that allowed him both a full view of the Ooman facility and a view of the ocean. He had misjudged how close the facility was to the water, and he was glad that he was at least able to enjoy a salty breeze as he observed the events playing out before him.

Not long after he had ascended his perch, a small swarm of kiande amedha had emerged from the building, scuttling down the walls and over the measly barricades like insects. They had made their way down the beach in the direction of another building. Dhi'ki-de had noticed some festivities earlier and had seen a large crowd enter the building. When he saw the kiande amedha heading that way, he knew that they would be returning with hosts. And he had been right.

He watched them bring over thirty Oomans into the facility, and found it odd that he heard none of them screaming. Oomans were usually very vocal creatures when it came to expressing fear, but this batch was unusually quiet. Zooming in, he saw that all of them already had z'skvy-de egg-layers attached to their faces. These kiande amedha were much more efficient than others he had seen.

They disappeared into the facility with their hosts, and soon after, a small group of Oomans appeared on the beach. Based off of the way they maneuvered and their overall appearance, he could tell that they were warriors of some kind. All of them wore bulky armor and carried large weapons that were a staple of Ooman fighters. He remembered them being called guns. Primitive, loud, and mostly effective against other Oomans, but practically useless against the kiande amedha. As he observed these suicidal warriors scouting the facility grounds and no doubt forming a pointless plan of attack, Dhi'ki-de noticed something out of place. Or rather, someone out of place.

Amongst the burly warriors, who alone looked like they would prove to be a worthy opponent, was a small lou-dte kale. A young female, thin and meek. It was obvious she had never seen a day of battle in her life, and yet the warriors had brought her along. Why? Dhi'ki-de cocked his head curiously as he observed the female. Despite her size, she seemed to be carrying an air of confidence about her. She was afraid, they all were, he could practically smell it rolling off of them, but she hid it surprisingly well. She did not hesitate when they entered the facility, following closely behind one of the other warriors. He clicked to himself, bewildered and yet found himself admiring her courage. To say he was intrigued would be an understatement. After a few moments of waiting, he dropped from his perch and followed them into the facility.

Once inside, he followed their trail at a distance. Despite his weight, Dhi'ki-de moved soundlessly over the tile floors and through the carnage of the dining hall. As they moved down the numerous levels, he felt a fait wave of uneasiness wash over him at the sight of so many corpses. The kiande amedha numbered more than he had anticipated, but with any luck, the Oomans would take some out for him.

He rounded a corner just in time to see the lou-dte kale take off down the stairs without the protection of the warriors. The others hesitated, no doubt waiting to see if she had gotten slaughtered by the kiande amedha, before following her down. Dhi'ki-de was surprised at her luck. Normally a hive would be incredibly active, but this one was surprisingly dormant. That is, until a scream rang out from the floor below, followed by a large explosion. Dhi'ki-de made his way down the stairs to see a room full of the fresh corpses of z'skvy-de hosts, and one of which had just birthed a screaming worm. He left it there, flopping pathetically on the floor. Something was wrong with it, so it was going to perish anyway. Across the room was the Oomans' point of exit; a jagged hole revealing another stair case. It was at this point that he lost the Oomans.

Thanks to the lou-dte kale, the hive was buzzing. Kiande amedha were swarming everywhere in search of the intruders. He ended up having to hide in different corridors and dispatch of two of them in order to stay undetected. Pointless, yet necessary kills. As the activity was starting to die down and move to other floors, Dhi'ki-de wondered how he would find the Oomans in such a maze. He didn't want to miss out on any of the action. As it turned out, that problem would be solved for him.

All he had to do was follow the screams.

* * *

He caught up to the Oomans as they were nearly overtaken by the swarm, but three of the warriors were able to effectively hold it back. He did a quick head count, noting that their number was down by four. Surprisingly, the lou-dte kale was still alive. Or at least she was. One of the kiande amedha was able to make it past the three warriors and tackle her through the wall, both of them falling into the depths of the hive. The remaining warriors made the right decision in continuing forward and not going after the lou-dte kale. She was a lost cause… or was she. He sat silently in thought, watching as the three warriors were finally overtaken and the swarm continued after the ones that remained. Could she be alive? She had survived thus far, either by luck or by skill (and his bet was on luck). Maybe she had survived again.

He looked between the tunnel and the hole the female had made, finally decided that he wanted to know what happened to her. He leapt smoothly through the wall and climbed down the shaft. At the bottom he stopped, listening. He could hear the distant echoes of a struggle. By the Gods, she was alive!

Following the sounds of fighting, Dhi'ki-de stepped over a corpse (not caring who or what it was( and skirted a few z'skvy-de eggs to find the lou-dte kale in a small chamber locked in combat with a kiande amedha. She's attached herself to its back and is rolling around the floor with it. The female took quite a beating herself, but she had a look in her eyes that Dhi'ki-de had seen in many Yautja before; the burning desire to kill. And kill she did, firing her weapon through the back of the kiande amedha's neck in quite the tactical manner, using the creature's head to shield her body from its blood.

Leaning back on his haunches, Dhi'ki-de stared at the winded female with a newfound admiration. He had wholeheartedly misjudged her; she was not another weak, worthless Ooman. Despite her size and appearance, she was courageous fighter and a strong adversary. Nearly on the verge of a worthy opponent, but he wasn't willing to give her that.

"Holy hell…. I killed it."

He laughed silently to himself. She sounded so astounded. _Yes, little Ooman. You killed it._

His senses picked up and his muscles tensed, sensing another presence in the room. A second kiande amedha had entered and attacked the lou-dte kale. She was defenseless, her weapon destroyed by her previous kill. She would not survive this time.

He felt a surge of inexplicable anger rise up within him. Maybe it was because she wasn't given a fair chance, maybe it was because he didn't want to lose his source of entertainment, or maybe it was because he didn't want to watch the little warrior, who had made it so far and had just proven herself worthy, die right in front of him. He didn't know nor understand why; he just knew that he would not stand for it.

Growling, Dhi'ki-de stood and strode towards the kiande amedha, grabbing it with one hand and tossing it across the room. Oblivious to its attacker, the creature stood stupidly as he unsheathed his spear, pulled his arm back, and sent the blade plunging through its skull, pinning it to the wall. The blood made the spear's camouflage deactivate, and he saw the female's eyes widen at the sight of the weapon.

"What the hell? Hello?"

He knew very little English and spoke even less, but he was able to make out what she said. He sighed softly, knowing that he could no longer hide. He had blown his cover, so his choices were either to kill her or reveal himself.

While she looked aimlessly around the room, he made his way over to his spear and yanked it out of the wall, the sound of the corpse dropping making the female turn back around. He watched her eyes widen as he deactivated his cloak. Planting his spear, he gazed down at her, amused by her expression.

"What the hell are you?"

" _I am Dhi'ki-de. I saved your life. You are welcome."_


	16. Chapter 16

Kara stared dumbfounded at her savior. "What?"

Dhi'ki-de sighed and repeated himself (only for the sake of formality), but Kara only heard the same guttural clicking as before. "Right." She shook her head, trying to comprehend that an alien had saved her for… whatever reason, and now she's talking to it.

"Do you speak any English?" she asked, hoping for the best.

Dhi'ki-de was able to get "you" and "speak," and he cursed himself for not taking his father's advice to learn the Ooman language better. It had never occurred to him that he would ever be in a situation where he would actually have to converse with an Ooman, but here he is. At least he was able to grasp what she was asking of him, to which he shook his head.

Kara huffed and got to her feet. _Great._ As she stood and brushed herself off, she was taken aback by just how much larger the alien was than her. She had thought it was big when sitting down, but damn. The fucker's bicep was bigger than her thigh! She was absolutely minuscule compared to it; the top of her head was barely at chest level and she had to crane her neck back to look at its face. Or rather, its mask. It was hard to tell in the dark, but she was pretty sure the alien didn't have tubes implanted in the side of its face (at least she hoped it didn't, because if it did, ew). She could see the bulky outline of armor on its shoulders and chest as well as on its forearms, knees, and hips. Its left shoulder had something attached to it, but she couldn't tell what it was exactly. All in all, Kara could tell that this was not something to be fucked with. It looked like it could tear her head off if it wanted to, and she was sure happy it wasn't in the mood.

She watched as it pointed to the dead Xeno behind her, the one she had killed, and then raised its finger at her. She could see a very deadly-looking claw at its fingertip, the sight making her gulp. _Definitely don't want to be on the receiving end of those things_.

"Um, yeah. I killed it," she said.

Dhi'ki-de nodded and clicked rapidly, pounding his fist against his chest. He was attempting to show her that he approved of her ability to efficiently kill a kiande amedha, and it seemed to have gotten across.

"Oh, you're saying 'good job.' Well, uh," Kara placed her own fist against her chest and bowed, hoping it had a universal meaning of appreciation. "Thank you." She felt a small smile twitch on the edge of her lips at the hilarity of the situation. _Here I am, in an alien hive, being complimented by an alien. What the fuck has my life become_?

Dhi'ki-de bowed in return, relieved that communicating was going much smoother than expected. _At least she is an intelligent Ooman. I couldn't stand to try and communicate with one of the brutes._

Not wanting to seem rude to the alien (weird thought at such a time, truly) Kara decided to try to tell it what she had to do. She didn't want to waste any more time. Stephens probably needed her, and she was still itching for some payback.

"Ok, uh," she took a second to work out what she'd say in her head. Placing both hands on her chest, she began her dialogue.

"I need to go-," she pointed at the tunnel. "Kill-," she ran her thumb across her throat. "That-," she pointed at the dead Xeno. "A big one," she spread her arms as far as they could go both horizontally and vertically. The whole time, the alien watched unmoving. Kara stared at it, hoping desperately that something got through.

Dhi'ki-de watched, half amused but mostly grateful at how clearly the Ooman tried to communicate, even though she looked like a bird performing some deranged dance. Yes, he understood that she had to go… yes, she must kill more of them… wide and tall? What; the tunnel? Another room? That threw him off. He copied her last move (though not as dramatically) and shrugged, shaking his head.

"Ugh." _Well, at least it got the rest of it_. Kara walked over to one of the dead Xenos and crouched beside it, Dhi'ki-de watching her curiously. She pointed at the corpse and held up her other index finger. "One." He copied her, holding up his finger. _"One."_ _She wishes to kill one._ She pointed again and spread her arms. "Big." Kara repeated the move again, pointing and spreading her arms. "Big, large, huge, monstrous." _He's got to get one of those_. Though he didn't understand what she said, it finally clicked as to what she meant. She wanted to kill a big one; the brood mother.

 _She must have hit her head too many times,_ he thought to himself. _Taking on a kiande amedha mother is suicide for an Ooman._

But, he still saw that fire in her eye; that burning desire for blood. This little lou-dte kale was on a mission, and who was he to stand in her way. At least she will die with honor in battle.

Dhi'ki-de acknowledged that he now understood what she meant and Kara breathed a sigh of relief. He then jumped into his own little dialogue; pointing at her and then himself, pointing down the tunnel, and then running his thumb across his throat.

Kara stared at him incredulously. "Us?" She wagged her finger between the two of them. "We? Go kill?"

Dhi'ki-de nodded at her, spreading his arms. " _The big one._ "

Her heart jumped in her chest and the adrenaline started to kick back into gear. This alien (who she guessed was a "he") wants to team up with her to go kill the Queen. With him by her side, she'd have a bit more of a fighting chance. Actually, she felt fucking invincible.

She pushed herself to her feet and rolled her shoulders, terrified excitement sending tingles across her skin. A slightly crazed smile curled at the edge of her lips at the thought of revenge. "Let's go kill a big fucker."

That smile was not lost on Dhi'ki-de. _By the Gods, she's insane_. This point was proven as she crawled into the tunnel without even a thought of rearming herself. _Hulij-bpe. What am I getting myself into?_ Well, it was too late to turn back now.

He followed after her and went to tap her shoulder, but stopped when he saw the raw gouges there. He felt a small twang of guilt, realizing he caused it when he pulled the kiande amedha off of her. Thankfully, they didn't seem to be bothering her much. _She should be grateful she is alive, anyway._ Still, he didn't want to aggravate them and cause her pain; that would lead to a distraction in battle. He reached out and grasped her forearm.

Kara turned around at the sudden contact. For a hot second, she had thought it was another Xeno and nearly screamed. She released a haggard breath, trying to calm her nerves.

"What is it?"

Dhi'ki-de reached behind him and pulled one of his daggers out of his belt. He held it out to her.

"Oh." She felt her face heat up with embarrassment. She was about to go running into battle without a fucking weapon. _Fucking idiot_.

She took the dagger from his hand, turning it over and feeling its weight. Kara was no expert when It came to knives but it seemed like a good weapon; the blade was slightly curved, just longer than her forearm, and the handle had a good grip to it. Most importantly, it was sharp.

She looked at him and nodded. "Thank you."

Dhi'ki-de grunted and moved ahead of her in the tunnel, waving at her to follow him. They had to keep moving if they wanted a chance at reaching the heart of the Hive without detection. Kara did her best to keep up with her alien companion as he moved effortlessly through the tunnel, never losing his footing or having to grip the tunnel walls to push himself forward (unlike someone behind him). Thankfully, this tunnel had a consistent downward slope, so Kara wasn't struggling to climb after him. If she had been, she was sure she would have been left behind.

They made it to the next chamber without incident, only hearing faint echoes of hissing and scuttling in the distance. Before entering, Dhi'ki-de sent out a pulse wave from his sat-com and pulled up the schematics of their location. Kara watched in amazement as he navigated a small hologram that appeared above his wrist. He turned to her and pointed to two locations on the hologram; the small room where they were and much larger room just a few hallways away. _Holy shit, we're almost there_.

The reality of the situation was starting to dawn on her, and she could feel her blood run cold with anxiety. What, in actually, would she be able to do? She supposed that she could make a good decoy while her companion did all of the killing. What hope did she have against the Queen and her guardians? No matter if they won or lost, she was going to be dead by the end of it. That was a fact she had no problem coming to terms with, but still; death is a terrifying thing.

Steeling herself for her fate, Kara nodded to Dhi'ki-de and followed him into the chamber. He moved quickly and stealthily ahead, Kara having to sneak-jog in order to keep up with his stride. They hadn't made it far into the first corridor when the sounds of a struggle ahead reached them. Dhi'ki-de paused, Kara coming to a halt and peering around him, unable to see the source of the sound in the darkness. Adjusting his vision, he zoomed in to see one of the Ooman soldiers fighting a losing battle against a kiande amedha. Their route to the brood mother's chamber passed by the tunnel where fight was taking place, so they would have to proceed with caution in order to remain undetected.

Kara stayed close behind her companion as they started moving again, much slower this time. They hugged the wall as they neared the fight, Kara finally able to catch a glimpse of the combatants. From her angle, all she could see was the back of a Xeno and the feet of a soldier kicking underneath it. Guilt drove its stake into her chest as she turned her gaze away from the struggle. They had to keep moving. It was probably too late for him anyway.

"Ngh- fucker! Come on! That all you got?!" That voice was all too familiar.

Spinning around, she ran back to the room. Seeing that the Xeno was too distracted to hear her coming, she attacked it from behind and plunged her knife into the top of its skull. It squealed in pain as she pulled it off of its would-be victim and proceeded to stab and slice open its head until it stopped moving. Damn thing never knew what hit it.

She stood, a little winded, and shook the knife off. She was impressed by the durability of the blade, seeing no blemishes from the Xeno's acid blood. Turning to the soldier on the floor, she extended her hand to help him up.

"Hey Stephens."

He took her hand, dumbfounded. She was alive, albeit a little worse for wear, and she had just saved his life. Him, a trained soldier, saved from an alien by girl with a knife. He exhaled and shook his head, giving Kara a hug.

"Whew, I owe you one, kid," he said as he patted her back. She sucked in her breath against the pain, Stephens seeming to find all of her sore spots, but she was just happy for a human touch.

"Don't mention it," she said as he pulled away. "Are you the only one left?"

"No, Tyler is here." Stephens walked over to a heap lying against the wall and knelt down beside it. After some coaching, the heap grew a pair of legs and wobble over to where Kara stood, rubbing its head. Of all people, the Pack Mule was still alive. Or, well, Tyler.

"I still can't believe you're here," Stephens said. "No offense, but how the hell are you not dead?"

"I was able to take down another Xeno after we had gotten separated." Kara smiled at their astonished faces, feeling a little proud of herself. "I wrecked my gun and would have been Xeno chow if he hadn't saved me."

Stephens' brows furrowed. "Who's 'he'?"

She glanced behind her, expecting to see her alien companion standing in the doorway but only saw the corridor. He must have moved on without her. Oh well, if he did they'd see him soon anyway.

"He's some kind of alien warrior. He's got a bunch of crazy advanced weapons and technology. This is one of his knives, actually," she said, holding up the blade for them to see.

"How do we know he's on our side?" Unsurprisingly, Stephens was apprehensive. While the Xenos were bad enough, adding another alien into the mix could end up making things worse for them.

Kara shrugged. "He saved me. He could have let me die or killed me himself, but he didn't. Besides that, he's here to kill the Queen, too."

The soldiers' eyes widened. "How do you know?"

"He just is. Trust me," Kara turned back to the tunnel. "We'll have story time later. Come on."

He was still trying to wrap his mind around what Kara had told them as he followed her out into the corridor. Just ahead of them stood a hulking figure, the sight making Stephens and Tyler halt in their tracks and flounder for their weapons. Kara, on the other hand, smiled and sighed with relief. _Huh, he waited for me after all._

Dhi'ki-de turned his head at the sound of their approach. _Huh, she is still alive. And she brought companions._ He could smell the two males' fear at the sight of him, clicking in amusement.

"Take it easy, guys." Kara stepped between the two men and the alien. "Remember, he's on our side."

Stephens looked at her in shock. " _This_ is him?"

"Duh." She pushed the barrel of his gun away. "Get yourself together, Stephens. We've gotta move."

The shaken soldier took a haggard breath and nodded. "Right." _Fuck, this mission was getting to him. At least she still has her wits about her._

Kara looked to Dhi'ki-de and inclined her head down the tunnel. With a grunt, the Yautja turned and pressed onward toward the heart of the Hive, his human entourage following close at his heels. After just a few minutes of running, they reached the final corridor. Dhi'ki-de paused just before rounding the corner, crouching and pulling up his sat-com hologram. He showed the schematics to Kara; the corridor they were about to enter led straight into the Queen's chamber, but there looked to be some sort of observation room just to the left of the staircase that offered a good spot to see what they'd be up against. Dhi'ki-de ran his finger from their position to the observation room, finalizing their path and making sure she understood the plan (which she did).

"Ok," she whispered to the two men. "The Queen is just ahead. There's an observation room on the left that'll give us a good vantage point. That's where we're headed. Got it?"

Stephens gave her a thumbs up while Tyler just stared at her with wide eyes. _Guess that's all I'm getting out of him_. With a nod to Dhi'ki-de, the four rounded the corner. The corridor was empty, completely coated in slime and thick grey matter, but the sound of Xenos moving around was closer than they liked. They moved quickly and quietly, skirting over to the far wall and crouching low. They huddled around the door, and while Kara tried the handle, Stephens peered over the lip of the stairs. He couldn't see much, but he caught a glimpse of a row of eggs with a dark shadow slithering through them before the knob turned with a click. Everyone hustled inside and Kara shut the door behind them, releasing a breath she hadn't known she was holding. _We made it._

While the humans calmed their jangling nerves, Dhi'ki-de sat up on his haunches to look out the window into the chamber. Kara came over to join him, followed by Stephens and Tyler. To the Yautja, the sight was nothing new, but to the others it was fucking nightmare-fuel.

The chamber, which at some point had to be a massive lab, was studded with columns of the lumpy grey materials. Most of the columns ringed the edge of the room, sectioning off the eggs. And holy shit were there a lot of eggs. It looked like a teenager's acne-ridden forehead. Despite that, there were only four Xenos in the room tending to the eggs; one for each of them. They took turns crawling between the eggs and making runs to the Queen. Oh, the Queen. Her mother fucking majesty was a sight to behold. As if she wasn't big enough already with her massive dome, back spikes, and four arms, she was sitting on one of the most grotesque things Kara had ever seen. It was a massive egg sack, pulsating and rippling like a maggot as it dropped another egg onto the ground to be carried off by one of the attending Xenos. Watching it nearly brought bile to the back of her throat, but she was able to hold it down and suppress a gag.

The Queen sat in the center of the chamber in what looked to be the remnants of an enclosure. The glass was busted out and the framing bowed outwards. Her sack wrapped around her and dangled off of the edge of the enclosure, offering easy access to the Xeno attendants. But, bad news for the group, the enclosure offered her protection. If they wanted a good chance at killing her, they'd have to draw her out.

 _Seriously? What actually chance do we have of killing her?_ Kara's thoughts were racing. _I mean, look at her! She's bigger than my damn house!_

Her eyes darted over to Dhi'ki-de as he gazed at the room, silently formulated a plan. _He's got the best chance at taking her down. We've just gotta kill the little ones and keep her distracted._

She started at the touch of a hand on her arm. "Hey, how're you feeling?" Stephens' looked at her with solemn eyes. He knew they didn't stand much of a chance, either.

"Really fucking scared and way out of my league," she told him honestly. "I have no idea what's going to come next… probably death. But… I'm ready for it. By the end of this, I'll either have avenged my family or joined them. I'll take either of those odds."

Stephens gave her a smile, genuinely proud of her and how she had proven herself in just these past few hours. She was courageous, loyal, determined, tactical, and stronger than he had anticipated. He was going to miss her, but hey, maybe they'd catch each other in the afterlife. He placed his hand behind her head and pressed their foreheads together in a kind of brotherly compassion.

"It will be an honor to fight by your side," he told her. Pulling away, he gripped Tyler's shoulder and gave it a shake. "Both of you." Kara and Tyler held eye contact, reaching out and gripping each other's hand, unifying the three. This was a powerful moment, one none of them would ever forget. Their minds were focused, their hearts set, their courage growing as their bond strengthened. If death was their fate, then they would face it together.

* * *

 **AN - Hello to my dedicated readers! I'm so glad you guys are liking this story and I'm so sorry about the gap before this update. College kind of snuck up on me and I'll be moving out in two weeks, so I lost writing time to orientations, auditions, and packing. We're finally getting to some drawn-out action! I promise to not leave you guys hanging before life gets crazy and I leave for school. I hope to have at least three more chapters done before I go, and I'll update as best as I can after the move. Thank you so much for the great feedback! Love ya! 3**


	17. Chapter 17

The plan was simple. Once they entered chamber, Dhi'ki-de and Tyler would destroy and/or seal all of the entrances, (hopefully) keeping the rest of the hive at bay and trapping the Queen. Dhi'ki-de would kill one of the Xeno attendants (easy-peasy for him) while Kara, Stephens, and Tyler took out the other three. That, on top of the boys torching the eggs with whatever juice was left in their guns, should pull the Queen out of her enclosure and distract her long enough for Dhi'ki-de to find the sweet spot and take her out. See? Simple enough.

They huddled at the base of the stairs, two on either side of the door. Tyler had dismantled the wall panel and was furiously navigating his iPad, passing firewalls and overriding different controls. He looked up at them and gave a count down on his fingers. Kara's hand tightened on her knife, her heart in her throat.

3… 2… 1

Tyler pushed a button and the four of them stood and ran into the room, the door hissing shut behind them. There was a clunk and a snap; the door was sealed. The four Xeno attendants screamed in unison and charged them, spit flying from their maws. Dhi'ki-de activated his plasmacaster, his sight flickering to life as he locked onto the nearest kiande amedha. With a whirring and a surge of blue light, he sent a blast right into its head, tearing its skull to shreds and spraying gore everywhere. He kept running, seeing only two other tunnels into the room near the ceiling. Vents; one on the far left side of the room and one directly across from the Queen. He took care of the one by the Queen first, scaling the wall and tossing two proximity mines down the tunnel. Each laser grid came to life as the mines attached themselves to the sides of the tunnel. Nothing was passing through there without getting blown up.

While he moved on to the next tunnel, Kara, Stephens, and Tyler had their hands full with their own Xenomorphs. Tyler was keeping the alien as far away from him as he could, using his flame thrower to drive it back before shooting at it, repeating the cycle until the thing dropped or he ran out of juice. Stephens was using his gun to both shoot the Xeno and beat the shit out of it, slamming the butt of the gun into its head and knocking it away when it charged at him.

"Come on, you bitch!" he grunted as he clocked it in the jaw. "Come on!"

The Xeno shrieked and spun around, catching Stephens with its tail and sending him flying. He bounced off the wall and flopped on the ground with the wind knocked out of him, his gun skittering away from him. His vision went fuzzy as he saw the Xeno stalk towards him, its lips pulling back over its teeth. He tried to reach for his gun but the alien got to it first and swatted it away. It grabbed Stephens by the throat and hoisted him up against the wall, hissing in his face as slobber dribbled onto his uniform. As its mouth opened for the final kill, he reached down to his thigh and unclipped his pistol, jamming it right underneath the Xeno's chin. He smiled.

"Got ya."

Four bullets ripped through the Xeno's head, severing its inner mouth and coating the front of his uniform in blood. As the alien collapsed and dropped him, Stephens ripped off his armored vest and jacket, barely getting them off in time before the acid sizzled right through them. He was left in his under armour T-shirt, but though he was vulnerable, at least he was alive. Reclaiming his gun, he saw that Kara and Tyler were still fending off their attackers and the friendly-alien was across the room tossing something into a tunnel. He glanced between the two people, trying to decide who to help first. Seeing that Kara had made it on her own thus far (and Tyler was starting to back himself into a corner), Stephens ran to help the other man. She could handle it.

Kara was currently squaring off with her Xeno, each one having dealt blows to the other. Her lip was bleeding, as was a fresh gash on her thigh, shins, and back. The alien dragged its tail limply behind it, Kara having snapped it early into their fight. There was a slash on the top of its head and a few stab wounds on its side that were subtly dripping blood. They circled each other, Kara brandishing her knife in front of her while the Xeno gnashed its teeth and hissed. Despite breathing heavily, Kara was charged up, snarling right back at the Xeno. She was ready to kill this thing.

Snarling at it seemed to rile it up, as it growled and ran for her. She waited until it got close and then side-stepped out of reach, slashing at it as it charged past. She was able to rake the blade across the side of its head and down its back, but it only served to piss it off more. This ring-around-the-rosy had to end soon, or else it would be bleeding too much for her to risk getting close. She ran at it as it started to turn around and landed a side-kick on its head. It stumbled away from her, hissing and shaking its discombobulated dome, but she pursued it. She was able to kick it twice more, the final one knocking it to the ground. For good measure, she stomped on its head as hard as she could, making it wheeze and go limp. Keeping her foot on its head, she grasped the knife in both hands and brought it above her head, ready to bring it down on the fucker. However, the Xeno wasn't done with her yet.

The damn thing either gathered itself quicker than she had anticipated or it was smart enough to feign defeat, but it quickly became clear that the Xeno still had some juice left in it. It grabbed her leg and lifted its head at the same time, completely throwing her off balance and sending her to the ground. Her knife flew from her hand, landing God knows where. It wasted no time crawling on top of her. Its hands gripped her face and pushed her head into the floor, the growing pressure making her eyes water and temples throb as blood rushed in her ears. She clawed at its wrists, trying to pry its hands off of her but to no avail. The Xeno had the advantage. It kept pressing down on her head, no doubt trying to crack her skull. A helpless whimper escaped her as black splotches appeared in her vision and her limbs started to tingle. Her struggling became weaker and weaker, the suffocating pressure in her head actually making it hard to breath. The Xeno screeched happily above her as her hands dropped limp to the ground. _Well, this is it. Just hurry up and get it over with_. She couldn't stand the pressure much longer.

There was a blinding light and a wave of heat above her. The Xeno wailed and jerked away, and as it did it dug its claws into the left side of her face. It scrambled off of her, dragging its claws down her face as it went. The feeling of her flesh tearing alongside the sudden release of pressure made her gasp for air, followed by a cry of pain. Her numb limbs flailed and grasped stupidly at the ground as she tried to crawl away from the aflame alien. Her hearing was still muffled, but she could hear it screaming as another spout of fire engulfed its body. Kara's eyes rolled back as she sought out her savior, Stephen's fuzzy face coming into focus as he grabbed her by her armpits and dragged her away. Her head lolled to the side, and she saw Tyler releasing a war cry as he roasted her attacker. A smile turned into a grimace as a splitting headache wrapped its vice around her head. She groaned as Stephens propped her up against the wall near the corner of the room, cupping her chin in his hand and tilting her head up.

"Stay with me, kid," he said as he crouched beside her, wiping some of the blood dribbling off of her lip.

Kara could barely focus; it felt like her head was going to explode and, now that she was regaining feeling in her limbs, her wounds were starting to give her hell. Her cheek felt an odd combination of cold and hot, and she blindly reached up to feel it out of loopy curiosity.

"Hey," Stephens pushed her hand away. "Don't touch it."

She cracked open her eyes and mumbled something. His brows furrowed. "What?"

Her tongue felt like a lump of taffy in her mouth, but she was able to get out a slurred "Is it bad?"

Taking a good look at her, Stephens sucked in a breath through his teeth. He didn't want to tell her, to be honest, but he couldn't say it was fine. You don't tell someone with one side of their face looking like ground meat in a blood bath that they look fine. But, you also can't tell them that their face looks like ground meat in a blood bath. Fuck. It would be a miracle if she still had her eye.

"Yeah, kid. It's bad," he said as he tore off the sleeve of his shirt. "I'm gonna try to stop some of the bleeding, ok? It's probably gonna hurt like hell, but bear with me."

All Kara could do was groan and grit her teeth as Stephens pressed the fabric against her face. He was right, it did hurt like hell, but all she could do was ride it out. She tried to assess their situation, but her vision was still shit and the only thing she could make out was that most of the room was on fire.

"The Queen…?"

Stephens glanced over his shoulder. "She's still in the enclosure, but she's absolutely pissed. We torched one section of the eggs before we saw you. Your alien buddy is somewhere in the room. Last I saw him he was climbing up to some scaffolding on the ceiling. Once I get you taken care of, I'm gonna see if Tyler and I can get her out."

As the blood gradually left her ears, Kara could hear the Queen's high pitched, shrill screaming. Yeah, she didn't sound happy. "What about me?"

"You," he said as he tossed the blood-soaked sleeve onto the ground and ripped off his other one. "Are going to stay here and keep pressure on your face."

He took her hand and pressed it against the fabric. "You've done a lot, Kara. More than I ever thought you could, no offense. We may make it through this yet, but we've still got to kill the Queen. I'm putting you on the bench for this one."

He cupped her chin and gave her a smile, standing and shouldering his gun. "Sit tight and keep pressure on that." _And please, for the love of God, don't pass out_.

She watched as he ran out to join Tyler, her vision finally coming back to normal. Now she could see the Queen in all her hideous glory; writhing and snapping atop her egg sac. The way she flailed her arms made her look like an animatronic from some twisted theme park ride; partially amusing, but mostly disturbing. The room glowed an orange hue as the two men set more eggs ablaze. Kara could hear the wet crackling and popping as the leathery skin was eaten away. The Queen's cries grew louder and they actually sounded mournful. Kara couldn't imagine a creature like this having any sort of emotion, but there was no mistaking the pain in her wail. Normally empathetic, Kara felt a smug grin tug at the edge of her lips. _This is what you get, you fucking bitch. How does it feel?_

Two loud explosions rocked the room as something triggered Dhi'ki-de's mines. Grey matter shot out of the tunnels and rained down onto the room's occupants. The Queen must have summoned the Hive to deal with them; understandable, since if she took care of them herself she would lose a whole generation. Better to lose a few drones than sacrifice her brood. But, unfortunately for her, no Xenos came through the tunnels after the explosions. Dhi'ki-de's mines had collapsed them, sealing them out and leaving the Queen defenseless.

Pushing herself up into a better sitting position, her eyes roamed around the room in search of her alien companion. She couldn't see him anywhere, but she knew he was probably waiting impatiently for them to finish their part of the plan. Well, by the looks of it, he wouldn't have to wait much longer.

As Stephens and Tyler turned their guns on the last set of eggs, her hands (all four) reached forward and grasped the frame of the container. She extended her legs as she pulled herself forward, loosening the stiffened joints and giving her more leverage as the egg sac started to separate from her. The putrid smell of internal juices hit them almost immediately as there was a final rip and the egg sac fell away, spilling a milky liquid and half-formed eggs all over the enclosure. Ducking her massive head, the Queen stepped out of her enclosure, her lengthy back spikes grating against the frame as she emerged. Kara's eyes widened as she took in the sight of her. _Jesus Christ, she's bigger than I thought_. Though the Queen was petrifying, there was some sort of other-worldly beauty about her; the way her shell gleamed, how her tail arched behind her, her translucent teeth, the flare of her dome. Kara's mind could only think of one way to describe this creature; an angel of death.

Watching the kiande amedha matriarch emerge from above, Dhi'ki-de felt his pulse quicken and his muscles grow tense. A blooded Yautja he may be, but he had never actually taken on a brood mother before. Though she was nothing compared to a Quatza-Rij, the thought of facing a new enemy brought doubt and anxiety into his mind. He tried to push aside the feelings, but they still lingered on the edge of his subconscious.

 _You are a Blooded Hunter,_ he scolded himself, shaking his tresses. _An honored member of the Clan; adaptable, efficient, a survivor. What were those years of training worth if an enemy makes me question my abilities?_

His self-pep talk invigorated him, energy pulsing through his veins as he prepared to attack. He had a plan, a procession, of exactly how he had to strike in order to take her down successfully. First, immobilize the tail. That was her greatest weapon against him besides her overpowering size. He had his netgun armed and ready, and once her tail was out of the way he'd take out her legs, get her on the ground, and finish her off quick. Decapitation would be preferable.

While the Ooman soldiers shouted and taunted her with fire, Dhi'ki-de watched the brood mother carefully, waiting for her to be in the position. When her tail swept low to the ground he leapt from his perch, and as he dropped, he locked on to her tail and fired his netgun. The wire net caught her tail just under the blade at the tip and drove it to the floor, the mechanisms attaching and locking themselves in place. Not expecting an attack from above, the Queen turned her head with a surprised hiss as Dhi'ki-de landed, rolled, and ran for her legs. She tried to move but couldn't go far, her ensnared tail keeping her in place. Extending his wristblades, he sliced through the back of one leg, completely severing the *fibula-like support and taking out a good chunk of flesh along with it. He spun on his heel, putting himself beneath her and out of reach of her prying fingers. Grabbing a shuriken from his belt, he flipped open the blades and sent it flying into the back of her other leg.

The Queen wobbled on her feet, desperately trying to regain control of her massive body but eventually succumbing to gravity, her wounds, and a lack of balance. With a cry, she fell onto her side, the impact making the room shudder. It wouldn't be long before she regained herself, so Dhi'ki-de had to act fast. Using speed, momentum, and a smart disc, he made for her larger arms. Taking hold of her forearm, he flipped over the limb and brought the disc down as he went, lopping off her arm just below the elbow. The Queen squealed in agony and tried to grab him with her other hand, but he was prepared for that. He dropped to his knees and slid underneath, reaching up and removing that arm in the same manner.

Screaming and armless, the Queen tried to push herself up with her smaller arms and her stumps. The blood from her severed limbs was quickly eating away the floor, only making it harder for her to get enough leverage to get her feet beneath her. Only one step left. With a flick of his wrist, Dhi'ki-de embedded the smart disc in the front of the Queen's dome. It didn't kill her, merely stuck in her skull, but it was enough to make her move exactly how he wanted her to. As she ducked her head, trying to grab the disc with her smaller arms, Dhi'ki-de ran and jumped on her dome, propelling himself up, over, and onto her back. When she reared, he took hold of his whip and unraveled it, lashing it out and wrapping it twice around her neck. He grabbed the loose end as it came back around, careful not to hook his fingers on any of the segmented blades. Bracing himself, Dhi'ki-de tugged it tight and pulled it side to side as quickly as he could, sawing through her outer shell.

Streams of blood flew past him as the Queen reached for him with her stumps, unable to get him as he shielded himself under her dome (and because her arms were twice as short). Blood was starting flow at his feet as well, as the bladed whip continued to saw through flesh. The Queen writhed beneath him; tossing herself around as best she could and slamming herself against the ground, attempting to toss him off of her. Despite her thrashing, Dhi'ki-de managed to stay on and keep the blood off of him, but he only pulled harder. The whip was starting to disappear into her tissue and her hisses were becoming haggard. She was nearly spent. Victory was so close he could almost taste it. Alas, the only thing he'd be tasting would be his own blood.

The Queen bucked forward a final time, finding one final surge of strength. There was the sound of metal snapping as she twisted her tail and finally tore it free.

"Look out!" Stephens called to him, but it was too late.

By the time Dhi'ki-de registered the sound the Queen had already whipped her tail around and clocked him so hard the smack echoed in the room. He was sent reeling, slamming face-first into the wall. The force of his landing cracked his helm and made his vision go haywire. The raw taste of blood built in his mouth as he rolled onto his chest and shakily pushed himself up. His body protested that greatly, his head spinning and making him collapse again. Across the room, the Queen was rising. Slowly, but surely, she was able to stand and hold herself on her unsteady legs. Her head rotated to face Dhi'ki-de, a rage-filled hiss passing through her teeth as her remaining arms reached for the whip's dangling handle and yanked it free, dropping it to the floor with a rattling thud. She spread her arms as she took a wobbly step forward, almost as if she was saying _What now, bitch?_

Through his glitching helm, Dhi'ki-de watched as she limped her way towards him at an agonizing pace. He tried to reach for something, anything on his belt to defend himself, but he was still so dazed that his hand only flopped around at his side. That was the hardest he had ever been hit in his entire life, and if he couldn't gather himself, it might be the last. Luck for him, he was not alone.

There was a mighty cry and the sound of gunfire. "Over here, you fucker!"

Stephens and Tyler attacked her with what they had left, drawing her attention away from the stunned alien. She hissed and limped towards them. The two men separated, using whatever flame and bullets that in their guns to dance around with her, playing the "Here! No, over here!" game. They had to give him enough time to recuperate so he could finish the job. Unfortunately for them, it didn't seem like that would be happening any time soon.

It wasn't like he wasn't trying. By the Gods, he was trying to get his wits about him. His messed up vision wasn't helping to ease his confused state, but he couldn't get the damn thing off. Something entered his view from his right. The glass of the eye was shattered so he couldn't make out what it was. He felt it feel around his helm and grasp the respirator tubes, pulling them out all at once. There was the hiss of air as his helm detached and it was removed from his face. He sighed as his vision was finally clear and glitch free, and he squinted to see the lou-dte kale crouching beside him. She was bleeding heavily from numerous wounds and… there was something wrong with her face. The left side just didn't look right. In his still dazed state, he couldn't quite comprehend the wound.

Kara, meanwhile, was trying to comprehend the face she saw before her. Though she hadn't known what to expect when she lifted the mask, the sight of him still gave her a shock. A large forehead arched down to heavy brows and sunken eyes. He had no nose, but he had one hell of a mouth; four mandibles each with their own deadly tusk framed two upper fangs, four sharp lower teeth, and a very vagina-looking gullet. He looked like he could take a decent chunk out of her if he wanted to. Fluorescent green blood trickled from a gash on his forehead down his face, dripping onto his armor.

Blinking herself out of her stupid stare, Kara reminded herself that there were more pressing matters at hand than trying to figure out this thing's face. It had taken pretty much all of her will power to push herself up from the wall and limp-run over here, and she knew she couldn't waste any more time. She knew that she'd drop soon, and with him down for the count, someone needed to kill the Queen. Reaching to his side, she picked up his spear and held it out to him. It was much smaller now; he had done something to it that made it retract into itself and she didn't know how to get it back to full size. Kara didn't feel like killing herself trying to find out how to do it.

Dhi'ki-de, regaining more of himself, took the combi stick from her hand and grasped it with both hands. He pressed a hidden button, and with a click and a twist, the weapon regained its full length and the blades expanded. He went to push himself to his feet but Kara stopped him. She placed a hand on his chest and wrapped her other hand around the spear, gently tugging it away from him. Dhi'ki-de's grip tightened, hesitant to let the lou-dte kale attempt the impossible, but he relented and released the weapon. If she wishes to die trying, let her. That would offer him more time to fully regain his composure.

Kara stood and faced the room, alien spear in her hand. She gauged her path, envisioning where everything needed to be in order for this fucky idea to work. The Queen was still very much distracted by the two Colonial Marines, which offered her a perfect opportunity to run across the room to the Queen's enclosure. Wiping the sweat from her hands and sliding the spear into her back belt loop (with a little convincing), Kara started to climb the wall next to the enclosure, jamming her foot and fingers into the chunky grey mass as best as she could to ensure she didn't slip. It was slow goings, but she was able to climb high enough to reach over and pull herself on top of the containment unit. She looked at the Queen and gauged how high up she was compared to the enclosure, deciding that this was as high as she could risk getting without missing the mark. Now all she had to do was get her close.

Stephens knelt and checked his clip; less than thirty bullets left. _Fuck me. Better make them count._ He looked up and was about to fire at the Queen when movement caught his eye. It was Kara; she was on top of the enclosure waving her arms at him with a spear in one hand. _What the hell is she doing?!_

He raised his arms in question and she pointed to the Queen, then right below her. She made a beckoning motion whilst mouthing something along the lines of "Bring her over here." Stephens shook his head and mouthed back "Then what?"

Kara tilted her head down with her hands and made a stabbing motion at the back of her neck, then twisted her head harshly in the breaking-neck-fashion and pointed at the Queen. Stephens glanced at the Xeno, seeing the wound from the alien warrior's whip still fresh and dripping blood. _She wants to stab it and break its neck. Fuck's sake._ Stephens shook his head. He had no idea how that was going to work out, or how Kara was still standing for that matter, but what choice did they have? Their alien friend was down and he and Tyler were just about out of ammo. This was their last chance. He gave Kara a thumbs up and trained his gun on the Queen.

"Come and get me, bitch!"

She hissed at him as his rounds bounced off of her dome, stumbling around to limp after him. Kara ducked down away from the edge, trying to stay out of her radar for as long as possible. Stephens kept a steady pace, letting her get close enough to keep her interested and releasing small spurts of bullets to keep her pissed. As long as her attention was on him, Kara had a chance of making this work. His clip ran out just before he got the Queen in the right position.

"Fuck!" he shouted and tossed his gun at her. Unfazed, the Queen kept coming. Stephens stopped and pulled out his knife, waving it in front of him and taunting her.

"Come 'er."

The Queen screeched but Stephens held his ground, letting her come right up to him. She towered over the Marine, drool dribbling onto him as she opened her maw and bent down, reaching for him with her smaller arms. _Any time, kid_.

Waiting to make sure the Queen wasn't going anywhere, Kara took a few steps back, ran and jumped as high as she could, bringing the spear above her head. Right before she landed on the alien's back, she brought her arms down with as much force as she possibly could. It was enough; the weapon flew down into the already open wound and pierced straight through to the other side. The Queen released a gurgling wail, blood dribbling between her teeth. Stephens scrambled out of the way as fast as he could, watching in awe at the scene playing out before him.

Kara pushed the weapon to the side as far as she could, the blades tearing the flesh inside and out, making the Queen cry out louder. The weapon didn't land exactly in the middle, so Kara's turning eventually hit bone that she couldn't pass by pushing alone. But she had a plan for that. Griping the end of the spear tightly, she bore a reproachful glare through the Queen's skull.

"This is for my family."

She jumped off of the Queen's back and, with the aid of gravity, her body weight, and one good pull, forced the spear through the bone. The Queen's neck gave a loud snap, her cries fading away. Kara dangled from the spear, nearly 180 degrees from where she started. She let go and dropped to the floor and rolled out of the way as the massive alien body crumpled behind her. Oddly enough, she heard two separate thumps of dead flesh hitting the ground. Sitting up and facing the corps, she saw the Queen's head rocking just a few feet away from her body, her severed neck sizzling a hole into the floor.

The other three individuals in the room stared in utter shock, the same thought reverberating through their minds:

She killed it.

Tyler dropped his gun in a mixture of disbelief and relief. Stephens watched Kara's emaciated face crack a pained smiled.

"I killed it…" she breathed, and then everything went black.


End file.
